Maputo — The Mozambican police last week detained 42 foreign citizens at Maputo International Airport, as they attempted to enter the country, either with forged entry visas, or with no indication of where they intended to stay.

Giving his weekly briefing to the press on Monday, Maputo City police spokesman Orlando Madumane said that 24 of those detained were Indian nationals. They also included seven Nigerians, six Chinese, three Somalis, one Pakistani and a Rwandan.

“Of the 42 foreigners, ten were detained because they had forged entry visas”, Madumane added, “and the other 32 were denied entry because they were unable to explain where they would stay in Mozambique, and what they would live on. They have all been repatriated”.

The discovery of forged visas at the airport is a recurrent event, indicating the existence of a criminal racket whereby somebody is selling worthless documents to would-be travelers.

As for other crimes in the city, Madumane said that a 25 year old man named Francisco Cossa was shot dead in the early hours of Thursday morning by a gang of four men who are still at large.

The shooting occurred in the Maputo neighbourhood of Ferroviario, when the car carrying Cossa and his girlfriend, named as M. Macamo, came under fire.

The police suspect that Macamo may be involved in the murder, and she is under detention at the Ferroviario police station.