25 SMUGGLED MALAWIANS BUSTED UNDER CARGO AT BORDER

LOMAHASHA - Immigration officers at Lomahasha Border Gate rounded up 34 people travelling in three trucks, 25 of whom were hiding under cargo. It is said the group of Malawian nationals managed to get into the country from South Africa through Lavumisa Bo

MBABANE – Immigration officers at Lomahasha Border Gate rounded up 34 people, 25 of whom had been ‘buried’ under cargo and were being smuggled into Mozambique.

The 34 are inclusive of three drivers who were driving the cargo vehicles from South Africa to Mozambique.
According to an impeccable source, there were three trucks that were ferrying goods from South Africa to Mozambique, two of which were carrying the people being smuggled.

Of the 25 smuggled people, 10 came out of one truck and the 15 were found in the second one.
The remaining nine individuals, including the drivers, had lawful documents to cross through.
It is said the group managed to get into the country through Lavumisa Border Gate without being noticed. Narrating how they got hold of the people, the source said the three vehicles arrived at the border after 9pm towards closure time on Friday.

Questioned

It was stated that one of the drivers was questioned about a gate pass indicating that he entered with three people, but he was alone at the Immigration point.
The source said the driver was not clear in his explanation and a resolution was that all three should park their vehicles until the following day which was on Saturday.

The source said while the trucks were parked, a security guard manning the border realised that there was a person who was ‘suffocating’ in one of the trucks, which was when he went to call the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) personnel working at the border. “The police responded and searched the vehicles where they retrieved all the 25 people from two of the trucks who were stuffed under some cargo,” narrated the source. The source said the people were taken in by the police. 

It was established that the drivers’ initial plan was to get to the border when it was about to close so that they would not be searched and allowed to pass through easily.

It was gathered that all the people were Malawian language speakers and an interpreter had to be called in as police were recording statements.
According to information sourced from an officer who is working on the case, the Malawians were employed in SA where they worked as vendors for different people.

With the ongoing lockdown in that country due to COVID-19, they stopped working and were actually making their way home.
The incident was confirmed by Chief Immigration Officer Makhosi Simelane. He said they got to the ground and recorded statements before officially handing them over to the police.
When asked about the way forward, Simelane said the police would deal with the criminal aspect of it, but they were also going to call the Malawian Embassy in Mozambique.

“They have to confirm their identities to them as that is the standard agreement,” he said.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati also confirmed the incident.
She said the people were taken in and they would appear in court today.
“They are currently in police custody pending their court appearance,” she said.

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