Eighty-nine Ethiopian nationals have been apprehended for failing to appear before immigration authorities upon entry into Zambia.
Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka confirmed that the suspects were intercepted at the Kapiri Mposhi Turnoff inside a tanker truck belonging to Karan Transport Limited of Lusaka. The arrest followed a tip-off from alert members of the public.
Mr. Nshinka explained that immigration officers found the truck abandoned, with the driver believed to have fled. Preliminary investigations suggest the immigrants were concealed inside the empty tanker but, due to extreme heat and lack of ventilation, were forced to climb onto its roof.
Out of the 89 suspects, 61 were found with Ethiopian national identity cards, while 28 had valid Ethiopian passports without Zambian entry endorsement stamps. The group is believed to have been in transit to South Africa.
Mr. Nshinka added that the suspects are detained at Kapiri Mposhi Police Station pending further investigations and possible prosecution. The tanker truck has since been impounded.
Souce: ZNBC
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