Immigration officers arrest 18 Ethiopian illegal immigrants

Malawi: Immigration officers in the Northern region arrested 18 Ethiopians suspected of illegally entering the country and apprehended one Malawian who was driving a vehicle used to ferry the suspected immigrants around 11 a.m. on Monday, 14 November 2022.

The 18 immigrants were apprehended at the Phwezi Immigration roadblock in Rumphi while hiding inside a truck van with registration number CA 8429, driven by Perrie Chintika, a 40-year-old Malawian with Malawian passport number MWA029882 from Kasungu district, and driving a truck owned by Almeida Transport Company.

When the truck was thoroughly inspected, it was discovered that the migrants were in a van of the truck and had brought soap and toilet paper with the Malawi Revenue Authority Seal.

Sergeant Francis Chitambuli, Spokesperson for Immigration in the North, explains:

The 18 arrested immigrants will face charges of illegal entry contrary to section 21(1) of the Malawi Immigration Act, and the driver, who was also arrested and his vehicle impounded, will face charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants into Malawi contrary to section 36 of the Malawi Immigration Act.

The 18 Ethiopians and the driver are currently being held in Rumphi prison awaiting legal action.