Immigration Department unearths document fraud syndicate

The Department of Immigration has uncovered a document fraud syndicate involving over 370 passports of different countries and other documents.

According to a statement made available to ZANIS today by the Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka, seven suspects have been apprehended and detained while 372 passports have been seized.

Among the seven apprehended suspects are three Zambians, three Burundi nationals and one suspected Congolese.

Mr Nshinka pointed out that Zambian nationals include a 35-year-old Assistant Registration Officer based at the Ndola Passport Office and Augustine Phiri aged 31, both linked to the supply of passports and forged identity documents.

He said these were apprehended in Ndola on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

He further stated that the department is actively pursuing at least one more individual in connection with a suspected human smuggling syndicate operating under the guise of travel facilitation.

“The operation is believed to involve the production and use of fraudulent identity and travel documents to secure visas and facilitate the illegal movement of individuals, including Zambians and foreign nationals, to various international destinations,” Mr Nshinka added.

He explained that the investigations were triggered by a formal report regarding some suspicious documents submitted to one foreign embassy in Lusaka by a 40-year-old Burundian refugee, Jean-Claude Sibomana, on behalf of a Zambian national.

“Acting swiftly on the report, Immigration Officers apprehended Sibomana on Friday, August 1, 2025, shortly after his visit to the said embassy. He was found in possession of a Zambian National Registration Card and a Zambian Passport in the name of Oscar Musonda, raising immediate concerns about the genuineness and source of these documents,” he added.

Mr Nshinka noted that the sheer volume and diversity of the recovered passports point to a well-coordinated transnational network that may have been facilitating human smuggling, irregular migration, and visa fraud on a significant scale.

He explained that preliminary findings suggest that the syndicate was involved in processing and supplying forged documents to facilitate the acquisition of visas for individuals traveling abroad.

“The documents ranged from national passports and refugee cards to academic transcripts and institutional stamps, many of which were used in visa applications or to establish false identities,” he explained.

Mr Nshinka also said owing to the diversity of potential offences, the Department of Immigration has incorporated other security wings into the investigations.

“We remain resolute in dismantling criminal networks that undermine internal security through fraudulent immigration practices. We also wish to call upon members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious immigration-related activities to the nearest Immigration Office,” Mr Nshinka said.