Shoprite truck involved in immigration bust in Zambia

ZAMBIA | The Luangwa immigration office has caught 50 undocumented Ethiopians between the ages of 14 and 35 for entering and staying in the country illegally. In addition, they arrested two Zambians, Blessing Tembo (28) from Lusaka’s Garden House and Benson Mfula (32) from Petauke District, for aiding the Ethiopians. The arrest took place on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at approximately 2:00 PM, approximately one kilometer from Luangwa Bridge. The group traveled in a UD Croner Truck with registration number CAA 4229, owned by Freshmark, the fruit and vegetable distribution arm of Shoprite Holdings.

A concerned citizen alerted the Luangwa office after spotting a Shoprite brand truck suspected of transporting illegal immigrants, accompanied by a silver Toyota Corolla with registration number ALE 5181. Acting on the tip-off, officers located the truck and asked the driver: Bless Tembo, to open the container, which he eventually did after an initial refusal. In the container they found the 50 Ethiopians and Benson Mfula; no other items were present in the truck and the silver Toyota Corolla was not at the scene.

All suspects are currently in custody at Luangwa Police Station awaiting prosecution. The ministry plans to charge the two Zambians with aiding and abetting, and the Ethiopians with illegal entry and unlawful residence. The UD Croner Truck has been seized and is parked at Luangwa Police Station. The Luangwa operation contributed to the arrest of a total of 142 individuals for various immigration violations across the country between April 18 and 21, 2024.

Furthermore, during the same period, the Ministry of Immigration successfully deported 85 illegal immigrants, 35 of which were carried out by the Kabwe Regional Immigration Office on April 18, 2024. In addition, the Ministry secured 52 convictions and denied entry to eight individuals who did not. meet the entry requirements for Zambia.