MBABANE – Families of the arrested foreign nationals are worried as some of them had been reported missing in their home countries.
This was disclosed by their attorney, Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associates during their second remand appearance before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi yesterday.
Ever since news of the arrest of the foreign nationals, who are from countries such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Brazil, Indonesia and Cambodia, broke, the Times of Eswatini offices have been inundated with calls from concerned family members overseas.
Some expressed concern that they were not aware that their relatives had travelled to the kingdom, let alone that they had been arrested. Others informed this publication that they knew their relatives to be missing and had reported them as such to law enforcement. There was a caller who enquired about the possibility of deporting them to their home countries and ‘spare everyone else any trouble’.
One family member complained about the incarceration of his relative. “We are very concerned about what is happening to her. She is wearing the same clothes all the time and it is very concerning,” said the family member.
Another family in Brazil has reached out in distress to this publication, seeking information about the safety and whereabouts of their relative, who is among the 95 foreign nationals.
The sister of one of the accused, identified as Adryan Henrique Goulart de Souza, said the family only became aware of his arrest after reading a report in this publication and subsequently contacting their country’s ambassador.
“We didn’t know. We found out through the ambassador because we informed them, due to the fact that he hadn’t contacted us since last Tuesday,” she said.
The sister explained that the family grew concerned after losing contact with him, prompting them to seek assistance from diplomatic authorities. It was only then that they learnt he was among dozens of foreign nationals detained in Eswatini.
“I’m related to one of the foreigners who have been imprisoned. We want news about them. Do you have more information about him? Is he okay?” she asked.
According to the sister, her brother did not disclose his plans before leaving Brazil.
“He didn’t tell us. He simply said he was leaving Brazil and said goodbye to the family,” she said.
The arrests, which have drawn international attention, followed a police operation targeting what authorities described as an unlawful online gambling network operating within the country. Reports previously published by this publication indicated that the suspects were found in several rented premises, where the alleged illicit activities were being conducted.
Investigations revealed that some of the houses had been converted into makeshift workstations, with multiple computers allegedly used to facilitate the gambling operations. Authorities also indicated that the suspects were operating without the necessary licences, in contravention of local laws governing gambling and electronic communications.
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Suspects now face total of 168 charges
MBABANE – The Crown has since amended the charge sheet and the foreign nationals now face a total of 168 charges.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Thabo Dlamini yesterday handed the amended charge sheet.
When the accused persons appeared in court last Friday, their charge sheet reflected only two offences – one for allegedly breaching immigration laws and engaging in employment in the Kingdom of Eswatini without being authorised to do so by an entry permit.
According to the amended charge sheet, the accused are facing a number of criminal charges.
The amended charge sheet filed at the Mbabane Magistrates Court outlines an intricate case involving allegations of money laundering, illegal gaming and immigration laws violations.
The accused represent a diverse range of nationalities, including individuals from the People’s Republic of China, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The case is evidenced by the 168 separate counts detailed in the charge sheet. These charges can be categorised into three primary areas: Money laundering, illegal gaming and contraventions of the Immigration Act.
The most serious allegations involve money laundering under the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 6 of 2011.
In the first count, all the accused persons are charged with acting jointly to unlawfully acquire, possess or use E 200 000 on February 5, 2026 in Mbabane.
The prosecution alleges they knew or had reason to believe these funds were derived from illegal acts in Eswatini, specifically related to immigration offences.
In Count 2, similarly, all accused individuals face a second money laundering charge for the alleged unlawful possession or use of E508 000 on February 16, 2026, also in Mbabane.
All the accused persons are also charged under the Gaming Control Act No. 7 of 2022. This count alleges that between February and March 2026, the group acted together to engage in gaming events or contingencies without the required licences from authorised holders.
The remainder of the charge sheet consists of 165 individual counts detailing specific immigration offences for each of the accused persons.
These charges fall into two categories under the Immigration Act No. 17 of 1982: Unlawful entry and residence.
Many individuals, who include accused 1 (Lyu Tao), accused 2 (Li Hai) and accused 3 (Lui Xingwang), are charged with entering and remaining in Eswatini without a valid permit or licence.
These offences are alleged to have occurred on or about March 11, 2026, at the Castle Hotel in Mbabane.
Simultaneously, the accused persons face charges for unlawfully engaging in employment, occupation, trade, business or a profession without authorisation. The charge sheet specifies that these activities were carried out without the necessary entry permits or exemptions required by law.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
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