Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
An American couple has been apprehended after cannabis was discovered in their Ibex residence in Lusaka.
Immigration department public relations officer, Namati Nshinka says the couple was apprehended during a clean-up operation conducted by the department in collaboration with other security wings in selected parts of Lusaka.
Mr. Nshinka discloses that the operation which began in the late hours of friday, 22nd October, 2021 into the afternoon of saturday, 23rd october, 2021 was led by the department of immigration, with other security wings providing re-enforcement and it covered the great-north road, Kafue road, Lusaka south, Nampundwe, east park, Chazanga, industrial area and Kamwala areas.
and the department also during the same operation apprehended one-hundred and fifty-four (154) suspected illegal immigrants of different nationalities most of whom failed to produce proof of legal immigration status at the time of the raids.
Mr. Nshinka says after the initial screening exercise fifty-six (56) were released unconditionally upon production of proof of legal immigration status, two (02) persons an Indian and a Cambodian were mandated to report to immigration headquarters for further investigations and formalities, while the two (02) Americans have been handed over to officers from the drug enforcement commission (DEC), who were part of the operation.
meanwhile, ninety –four (94) have been detained pending further immigration formalities and possible prosecution with those detained including thirty-seven (37) Burundians, twenty-five (25) Tanzanians, twelve (12) Zimbabweans, eight (08) Congolese, and four (04) Somalis. others are three (03) Chinese, three (03) Malawian, one (01) British and one (01) Ugandan.
He has since encouraged members of the public, more especially immigrants and visitors, to always have in their possession their immigration permits and other necessary documents of national identity to avoid being inconvenienced during such clean-up operations.