Human trafficking worries Malawi police

  1. Posted on Thursday 2 December 2010 - 09:20
    Mtheto Lungu
    Image of Mtheto Lungu
    Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi
    Malawi's Police Service (MPS) has expressed worry about a growing rate of human trafficking in the northern border district of Mzimba. Two overloaded South African registered buses with over 200 passengers were intercepted on their way to South Africa trying to make to the border.
    malawi map
    Police spokesman in the district, George Kondowe said the MPS was also in contact with immigration colleagues to map a way forward, as almost all the passengers had passports with irregularities. A 32 year old woman, Emily Mwandira, and four men were arrested in connection with the human ‘contraband’.

    “Mzimba is not a banana district where transporters can traffic Malawians to South Africa anyhow. We shall act when such issues arise,” Kondowe told a local newspaper.

    The district is one of the most active illegal entry and outage spot, with thousands of illegal immigrants finding their way into the country and hundreds of unsuspecting young men and women being taken abroad – mainly to economic hub South Africa.

    Police seized 34 passports, eight with dubious foreign exchange (forex) agency stamps and six with inconsistent dates. Twenty of those were discovered to have been borrowed.

    “’Transporters fix peoples’ trips to make a huge financial killing. They announce the trips and service costs. We believe they are aided by immigration ‘plants’ through the official border outlets,” he added.

    Some of the borrowed passports show owners had entered the country whilst others indicated they were within the country – bearing stamps with dates ahead of the actual travel days.

    The two buses, registration numbers VVK 096 GP bore 108 passengers and CCK 234 L had 102 passengers against carrying capacity of 65. They were arrested at an ad hoc roadblock at Mzimba turn-off on the M1. Both were scheduled to pass through Dedza District immigration – over 400 kilometers from Mzimba.

    They would travel through Mozambique and enter South Africa through Beit Bridge.

    “We wonder how one can use somebody’s passport and get through our immigration posts,” worried Kondowe.

    Hordes of Malawians brave uncertain uncharted ways to get to South Africa in search of a green pasture and a better life. Some young women have been said to have been sold into prostitution once in the land of gold.

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