• Failure to do so may lead to loss of such vehicles to forfeiture by the State.
• Traffickers and smugglers are hiring motor vehicles to commit crimes.
• Four Zambians have been nabbed in suspected smuggling or trafficking of 43 undocumented immigrants.

Department of Immigration has called on owners of car hire businesses to closely monitor their vehicles’ movements and users’ activities to ensure the cars are not being used to commit crime.

Immigration Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka said failure to do so may lead to loss of such vehicles to forfeiture by the State.

Mr. Nshinka stated that the institution has noted with concern the growing trend in which traffickers and smugglers are hiring motor vehicles to commit crimes.

“The Department has noted with concern the worrying trend in which traffickers and smugglers are hiring motor vehicles to commit crimes. In this regard, we appeal to owners of car hire businesses to closely monitor their vehicles’ movements and the users’ activities to ensure the vehicles are not being used to commit crimes,” Mr. Nshinka said.

He revealed that a team of Officers from Department of Immigration, Drug Enforcement Commission, and National Anti-Terrorism Centre has apprehended four Zambians, in connection with a suspected case of smuggling or trafficking of 30 suspected Ethiopians and 13 suspected Somali nationals in Kasama.

Mr. Nshinka identified the suspects as Justin Chileshe 30 of Meanwood, Boas Simukonda 33 of Kaunda Square, Philemon Mbewe 33 of John Leing and Titus Chitundu 34 of Matero, in connection with a suspected case of smuggling or trafficking of 30 suspected Ethiopians and 13 suspected Somali nationals in Kasama.

He explained that the operation which was conducted from 22nd to 23rd November 2023, followed a report from a concerned owner of a named car hire company when the tracking system on one of the vehicles he had hired-out flagged some suspicious movements.

“The joint team pursued the matter, tracked and traced the vehicle to Justin Chileshe at a guest house in Kasama’s Lukashya Trades College Area, who had in his custody six Somalis and three Ethiopian undocumented immigrants. Justin Chileshe led the Officers to a vacant house in the Mukulumpe Area, where 27 other Ethiopians and seven other Somalis were discovered, bringing the total number of undocumented immigrants to 43.”

“Further investigations led the team to the arrest of two suspected masterminds, Bowas Simukonda, and Philemon Mbewe, at Elisho Flats and Apartments. In the process of pursuing the two, the team nabbed Titus Chitundu, who for a long time had been on the Immigration wanted list in connection with similar crimes. He was nabbed at a car wash in Kasama on his way to Nakonde, allegedly to pick up some illegal immigrants,” he explained.

Mr. Nshinka added that in the process, the team impounded two white Toyota Fortuners, used in transporting the undocumented immigrants, bringing the number of persons apprehended on 23rd November, 2023 to 65.

“On the same day, the Department secured 19 convictions and removed eight illegal immigrants from the country,” he added.

On 22nd November, 2023, the Lusaka Regional Immigration Office apprehended four Zambians in another suspected migrant smuggling case involving 16 suspected Ethiopian nationals found in Silverest.