The Department of Immigration in Ndola, Zambia has arrested four Americans and two British citizens while trying to enter the country illegally.
According to a local news outlet, MUTV, the arrest was made after an operation which started in the late hours of Thursday, 28th October, 2021 into Friday, 29th October, 2021.
The operation’s target areas were Casinos, Lodges, Masala Residential Area, Pamodzi Residential Area, and Urungu Ndeke turn-off resulting in the apprehending of Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight (358).
Those apprehended were Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight (278) Somalis, Eighteen (18) Tanzanians, Fourteen (14) Indians, Nine (09) persons claiming Zambian citizenship, and Eight (08) Kenyans, Five (05) Congolese, Five (05) Chinese, Four (04) Americans, Four (04) Cambodians, and Four (04) Ethiopians. Others were Three (03) Dutch, Two (02) British, One (01) Canadian, One (01) Malawian, and One (01) Turkish.
Of the Three Hundred and Fifty-Eight (358) apprehended Two Hundred and Thirty (230) were released unconditionally after screening while thirty-seven were mandated to report to the Ndola Regional Immigration Office for further formalities.
Meanwhile, One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight (128) are detained at Kansenshi Correctional Facility, pending further formalities and possible prosecution. These are One-Hundred (100) Somalis, Seventeen (17)congolese, Six (06) Tanzanians, Four (04) Cambodians, and One (01) Canadian.
Immigration public relations manager Namati Nshinka states that the department is no way forcing any person to carry their Identity Documents with them, they are merely advising people to do so in order to avoid the inconvenience associated with clean-up operations.