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Twelve undocumented Ethiopians, aged between 14 and 26, have been apprehended in Zambia for failing to report to the nearest Immigration Officer upon entry into the country.
Namati Nshinka, Public Relations Officer for the Department of Immigration, confirmed that the twelve individuals were arrested by a joint team of Immigration and Police Officers in Chinsali.
Nshinka issued a statement in Lusaka on Wednesday, detailing the circumstances of the arrests.
“They were apprehended yesterday, May 28, 2024, as they roamed the bushes of Mutambe Akasuba Area in Shiwang’andu District at around 11:40 hours,” he stated.
Nshinka explained that alert members of the public notified the Chinsali Immigration Office about the presence of the Ethiopians in the area. During the operation, an abandoned Mitsubishi Pajero Vehicle with registration number BAG 4282 was discovered nearby.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the individuals may have been transported from Nakonde in the Mitsubishi Pajero by unknown persons and were en route to Lusaka before being abandoned in the bush,” Nshinka said.
He added that authorities suspected that they may be additional suspects, including the driver of the Pajero, who are yet to be apprehended.
Consequently, efforts to locate and apprehend them are ongoing.
The detained Ethiopians have been transferred to Chinsali District in Muchinga Province, where they would await prosecution for their immigration violations.
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