POLICE in Central Province have intercepted a truck carrying more than 100 Ethiopians heading to South Africa in what is suspected to be a case of human trafficking.
The Scania truck registration number ACZ 5219 was impounded in Serenje District on Monday at Pensulo check point after police discovered that it was loaded with foreign nationals.
Central Province Police Chief Lombe Kamukoshi who confirmed the incident said three Zambian nationals have also been detained in connection with the matter.
Ms Kamukoshi said the Ethiopians were being screened before they could be handed over to the Immigration Department for other processes.
She, however, warned that police was on alert to ensure people who attempt to enter the country illegally do not go unchecked.
This beats me. How many KMs is Serenje from the port of entry? How many towns are between Serenje and the port of entry? How many Road blocks are between Serenje and port of entry? How can this truck be now intercepted in Serenje? Is it a case of the owner of the truck ran out of money to bribe the people manning our roads.?
I think the story is not about intercepting 100 Ethiopians. This should be how did 100 people without any documentation manage to make it as far as Serenje, despite the huge amount of money and infrastructure put in place to guard our boarders. The Ministers involved need to be taken to task for failing in their duties
Bootlicker for real! These are African brothers, this is their continent, let their freedom prevail as long they obey one country’s rule of law. They are on transit either way……………
In as much as they are our brothers like you correctly pointed out Viyaz Tembo, there are rules that govern sovereign states. For instance, YOU cant just walk into United Kingdom like some bum looking to get a tool from his pantry! Why in a sealed truck anyway? If they have passports and all the legal documents, why not do things the legit way? These could be some Boko Haram, who knows? Big up to the Kanona guys for being alert! Let them get screened and all those found wanting…back to Ethiopia! Emmasdale now looks like Somalia or Ethiopia, these guys are all over! Kwati ni mpemfu!
PF said they would create 500,000 jobs so why not just share 100 of them to those Ethiopians? I wish they were females.
In addition, the authorities are always quick to say they are Ethiopians. Has it ever crossed their minds that these people could be Alshabab recruits being infiltrated into Zambia and the sub-region.
And u blame S.Africans for Xenophobia??? These people never watched the news in April & May? Were they living under a rock. Or maybe they were in prison where there are no TV’s??
This is enough evidence that even terrorist invade our countries with full knowledge of our security officers. These Ethiopians, for example, having bought their way upto Serenje, could have settled anywhere and planned their evil acts on innocent Zambians. All those on duty in all the roadblocks they passed either colluded or slept on their jobs and should be answerable.
Nakonde is the most porous border. There Tunduma is built on Zambian land. An agreement between Kaunda and Nyerere allowed the position to remain that way to avoid war between brother states. What we are witnessing by this incident is people smuggling and not human trafficking. It is simple these people arrived in Tunduma, they crossed on foot into Nakonde to a holding house. By night they were taken to the Zambian truck for their trip to Lusaka. I have been involved in investigating people smuggling/human trafficking. The destination was Lusaka, to another holding house where Ethiopians learned some smattering of Nyanja, new identity documents manufactured etc before the next stage – South Africa or Canada.
This is really sad what fellow countrymen can do to destroy our country, now Zambians are involved in human trafficking. The driver of the truck must be imprisoned and those Ethiopians returned to their country. There is no war in Ethiopia and they should not be running away from their country. Those must be criminals in their country of origin otherwise why would they be running away. We already have an influx of Chinese people and now Ethiopians, we are really in trouble. A big hand to the cops at kanona road block for being so vigilant!
To start with people at the border like Zambia Revenue Authority must be involved. Firstly they should have checked the content of the truck before being realised. Even the immigration are also involved. We should clean the border areas,has zambiahas become a dumping ground of this foreigners.If that truck was cornered at the border how many of those have so far passed through that border. goto emmasdale Chaisa Mandevu this areas are infested with this foreigners and you cant like it.
The road blocks between Nakonde may not have been manned because all the police officers could have been in Kasama for GBM
This too much now…. Ministry responsible kindly handle the matter professionally. From entry point you have shift officers who must explain why it happened like that. Better stop paying them coz now they don’t report for work but to make money. What equipment did officer at in serenje use that they did not have pa entry point and all the check points??
Ati “Human Trafficking!!?” Be original and stop parroting terms used by propaganda media to demonise people. There is no war in your country of origin either. So, what are you doing abroad? Hypocrite.
My dear Phiri watch Vice news on U-tube and learn what’s happening in our world today. There is real time people smuggling and many are victims, it does not matter in a country is at war or not. Watch people smuggling on Vice News on U-tube.
Sorry Chitalu, I’m smarter than that.
This is not acceptable. Does one want to tell me that the truck was not opened at the boarder? Oh, I forgot that there’s strike at the boarder because of PF’s corrupt policies. Ethiopia is better than Zambia economically, so why should they be brought in trucks to Zambia? Problem is PF. So, let’s kick PF out
Comment:
Just what’s the problem with some of these African countries? I thought the situation in Ethiopia stabilized a long time ago?
People are on the move. People smugglers are making money big time. Example, between Africa, Mediterranean and Europe there is a lot people smuggling. From Africa put in dodgy ships and told go, it’s Europe or die! Many have died in capsized ships! What the loss of lives at the hands of people strugglers. As long as they make money they convince people to be smuggled, sometimes people are being stolen from where the safely live and smuggled, it’s a rough business out there!
The 100 Ethiopians are just a tip of the iceberg. People are being smuggled in car boots, car bonnets, container trucks, ships, boats, aeroplanes, trains, name it. The destination is ever dodgy. Some go join in wars and terrorist activities, others become economic migrant in countries they arrive.
Open eyes…
LET THOSE ILLEGALS GO BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY.THE HIGH VOLUMES OF CRIME IN SOUTHERN AFRICA ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THESE IMBECILES.
corrupt immigration officers at nakonde border is the cause of such and zra should be doing physical checks for trucks.open them and see what is inside don’t just allow trucks to cross.
officers either ZRA or Immigration should be rotating.After six months move them to other places and bring in new ones from other places.With that you can fight corruption.
Those are PF tricks to rig elections by bringing ilegal immigrants and register them as voters. its only that the gymic was miscalculated and I am sure officers who impounded the truck will soon be dissmissed.
Lets keep our eyes open with our ears to the ground.
This is a fake operation to blindfold the Zambian nationals. Has someone thought about why the Police Post near Pannar Seed Co was abandoned by police in heavy industrial area? This containerised Post interfered with the human trafficker. A Zimbambwen national, a businessman running Gurus Trucking In opposite this Police Post facilitates this kind of evil acts. He also owns the Gurus night club along Great East Road at Chaisa market. This human trafficking happens right there and the Police iam sure are fully aware about this. Why dont they arrest this baroon when he has been enslaving the humans from Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia. Was this not the reason why the police post was removed? We know what is happening at Gurus trucking in in heavy industrial area