30 November 2009
THE Immigration Department is today expected to commence the screening and interviewing of 22 Somali juveniles believed to be victims of an international syndicate in human trafficking.
Immigration public relations officer, Mulako Mbangweta said the juveniles would be interviewed in the presence of officials from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to determine their fate.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Mbangweta said once it was established that the juveniles were being trafficked, the immigration would go ahead to prosecute the three Tanzanian women suspects believed to be behind the syndicate.
She said the juveniles would later be handed over to the IOM and maintained that the immigration department would continue to be alert to ensure that those involved in such crimes were arrested and prosecuted.
"We expect to conduct the screening and interviews today and thereafter we will be able to know the ages of the victims and other important information that will assist us with investigations," she said.
Ms Mbangweta said the department had intensified patrols and appealed to the public to report any suspicious people attempting to traffick in people using Zambia.
Last week, the Immigration Department intercepted 22 Somali juveniles who were believed to be victims of an international syndicate in human trafficking.
The department detained the juveniles and arrested three Tanzanian women believed to be behind the syndicate. Alert police officers on Thursday morning intercepted a South Africa-bound minibus which was carrying the youths.
The bus carrying the juveniles was intercepted by alert police officers at a roadblock in Kafue.
Ms Mbangweta said the police officers got suspicious after the juveniles failed to give straightforward responses and later informed the immigration officers.
She said after questioning, the Somali youths, mostly below the age of 17, told the officers that they were travelling to Chirundu en route to South Africa.
The three Tanzanian women were picked up from a house in Lusaka's Chaisa Township and were suspected to have been organising the transportation of the Somalis to South Africa.
In August, 25 Somalis were arrested in Chipata after entering the country illegally from Malawi while in September, 22 Somalis were arrested in Nakonde.
Last week, four Somalis, together with a Zambian immigration officer were also arrested in Nakonde.
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