Fifteen smuggled Bangladeshi nationals fined by Zambia

By Majie Sayila
The Times of Zambia

FIFTEEN Bangladeshi nationals who were smuggled into Zambia from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been fined K3.6 million each or in default three months simple imprisonment for unlawful presence in the country.

And the driver of the truck in which the 15 were concealed has been committed to the High Court for sentencing.

The 15 were fined by Magistrate Ngonga Walubita upon their admission of the offence of unlawful presence in Zambia contrary to section 11 (3) as read together with section 56 (1) of the Immigration and Deportation Act no. 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.

They are:

• Hosen Mohammed Monir, 20, student,
• Lipu Mahmoud, 30, farmer,
• Miah Mohammed, 20, student,
• Mohammed Shahidul, 31, unemployed,
• Nurul Alam, 34, business executive,
• Abu Said, 29, business executive,
• Hassan Kamrul, 22, student,
• Badsha Miah, 33, shopkeeper,
• Habib, 24, business executive.

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Others are:

• Miah Farid, 29, business executive,
• Miah Ponir, 20, student,
• Didarul Alam, 26, supervisor,
• Islam Nurul, 22, builder,
• Alam Nur, 31, farmer,
• Miah Salim, 28, business executive.

The 15 entered Zambia between July 17 and July 18 this year while hidden in a horse of a truck, registration ACM 120, which was under the control of a Zambian national who drove them through Kasumbalesa border control without their passports being endorsed with lawful entry or authority from immigration to legalise their presence in Zambia.

Facts of the case were that the 15 were seen standing at Chilanga Cement near the turn-off from the Ndola/Kapiri Mposhi Road and alert security officers alerted the immigration who came to screen them and discovered that their passports were not endorsed.

They explained to the immigration officers that they were waiting for the truck driver who had gone into the Chilanga depot to have his truck cleared so that they could proceed with him to Lusaka.

They also confirmed that they had hidden on the same truck from Lubumbashi where the driver had agreed with a man who asked him to ferry them to another man in Lusaka and would be paid upon arrival.

In mitigation, they all pleaded with the court not to give them a custodial sentence but to send them back to Tangail, Bangladesh where they hailed from.

In another court, the driver of the Copacabana truck in which the 15 were ferried was committed to the High Court for sentencing as the offence he committed carried a minimum sentence of 15 years.

Principal resident magistrate Collins Lundah committed Mungule Shooba, 51, of 2761 Lubuto West after he admitted the offence of smuggling persons contrary to section 9 (1) of the Anti-human Trafficking Act no. 11 of 2008 of the Laws of Zambia.

Human trafficking gang busted in Zimbabwe

By Staff
The Herald Online

FORTY-ONE Bangladeshis, believed to be part of a human trafficking syndicate, have been arrested between Zimbabwe and Zambia as the two countries tighten the fight against the crime. Of the 41, 16 were arrested in Victoria Falls while the other 25 in Zambia last week.

The suspects are believed to be using the two countries as springboards to South Africa before going to various destinations in Europe.

Assistant regional immigration officer Mr Francis Mabika yesterday confirmed the arrests. He said sometime last week they received information that there were some illegal immigrants who entered the country without the required documents.

“They were arrested and we discovered that some of them had entered using forged passports. Further investigations revealed that they were part of a human trafficking syndicate that is using Zimbabwe as a transit point to South Africa and we don’t know the final destinations,” Mr Mabika said.

The 16 have since been convicted and are serving 30 days in jail each.

Mr Mabika said most of these people were coming through Zambia and they communicate with their counterparts in the neighbouring country.

“Last Friday night, the Zambian officials arrested 25 more Bangladesh nationals who wanted to sneak into Zimbabwe and they are currently in custody,” he said.

Mr Mabika said they would remain on high alert and will not hesitate to arrest anyone who enters into the country without the required documents. He said they would also continue to carry out operations in the country targeting foreigners, who are illegally staying in the country.

Several people both foreigners and locals have for the past few months been arrested for their involvement in human trafficking.

In August last year, police arrested a 32-year-old Bulawayo man for allegedly smuggling 21 children aged between one and 16 years into South Africa.

Kenias Mhlanga of Magwegwe West in Bulawayo is facing charges of human trafficking and facilitating illegal migration. He allegedly took the children from Bulawayo to Johannesburg claiming to have been hired by their parents. Mhlanga was arrested in South Africa while loading the children into his South African registered Toyota Quantum.

Sources: The Times of Zambia | The Herald Online #1