Immigration dept arrests 140 foreigners, two Malawians, seizes vehicles

MALAWI: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services in the Northern region, in collaboration with the Malawi Police Service, has arrested 133 Ethiopians, six Bangladeshis, and one Pakistani for illegally entering the country, writes Sergeant Francis Chitambuli (Malawi Immigration, Public Relations Officer for Northern Region).

In addition, in the early hours of Friday, April 22, 2022, the joint effort arrested two Malawians who were assisting suspected illegal immigrants in illegally entering the country.

The security officers were on patrol, tracking illegal immigrants, when they intercepted a vehicle suspected of transporting illegal immigrants on an uncharted route in Mzimba, near the Kafukule area.

The suspects were later discovered hiding inside a van of a yellow 10 tonner lorry with registration number DA 7650 belonging to Mr Derreck Mthawira, Private Bag 320, Lilongwe.

The lorry was leaving Karonga district and heading to Lilongwe, carrying all the suspected illegal immigrants.

When the truck driver noticed that security officers were following him, he decided not to stop, but he was later arrested.

During the arrest, it was discovered that all 140 suspected illegal immigrants did not have passports and did not present themselves to immigration officers to obtain legal status.

Additionally, the driver of the vehicle, Lovemore Banda, 42, of Malindima village in the area of Traditional Authority Sitolo in Machinga, and his assistant, Edward Chitsime, 45, of Tumbi village in the area of Traditional Authority Kayembe in Dowa, were arrested for assisting foreigners in illegally entering the country.

The 10-tonne lorry used to transport the suspected illegal immigrants has been impounded.

Meanwhile, all of the suspects are being held in police custody while they await trial on charges of illegal entry contrary to section 21 subsection 1 of the Malawi Immigration Act, while the two Malawians will face charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to enter the country contrary to section 36 of the Immigration Act.