Police in Nakonde District of Muchinga Province have apprehended and detained 33 illegal immigrants believed to be of Ethiopian origin.

The 33 prohibited immigrants were rounded up from Chilolwa Village of Chieftainess Waitwika’s area following a tip-off by a member of the public.

ZANIS reports that Muchinga Province Deputy Commanding Officer Ronald Zambo who confirmed the development in an interview said this took place around 03.00 hours of today.

” Upon receiving this information, police officers and the Department of Immigration jointly conducted an operation and rushed to the area where the prohibited immigrants were believed to have been hiding at a named house belonging to Kendricks Sichone aged 46.

” Sichone fled the house together with his wife at the time officers from the police and immigration were arriving at the house, ” he said.

A further search at the said house, 30 sachets of sour milk and loaves of bread were discovered in the said house, prompting the officers to widen the search up to a nearby bush where the said prohibited immigrants were found sleeping under a tree, 25 meters away from the named house.

The illegal migrants are currently detained at Nakonde Police Station, alongside a 52-year-old minibus driver Victor Silwimba who is suspected to have driven the prohibited immigrants from Tanzania to Chilolwa.

Two motor vehicles, a Toyota Hiace registration number ADD6819 and a Mitsubishi Pajero registration number AJE4688, believed to have been used for transportation of the 33 migrants, have also been impounded at the police station.