The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services in the Northern Region yesterday arrested two Congolese nationals for illegal entry and two Malawians for helping the foreigners enter the country.
The department has also impounded a minibus bearing registration number CK 8714 which was used to ferry the suspects, and was heading to Karonga from Mzuzu.
The four Congolese nationals include Amani Malekera and Isaka Mapenzi who are both males aged 18.
They were travelling with two female minors from Sudi-Kivu District, Uvila village in Democratic Republic of Congo.
They were arrested at Phwezi immigration roadblock in Rumphi District where immigration officers mount a roadblock to track illegal immigrants.
Upon being interviewed, it was revealed that the suspects had travelled without passports and did not follow asylum seeking procedures. It is also reported that after reaching Phwezi, the driver of the minibus instructed his conductor to disembark from the vehicle and use unchartered routes to beat the immigration roadblock.
The 2 Malawians, a driver Temwa Silungwe, and a conductor Mabvuto Ngozo, are both males aged 39 and hail from the area of traditional authority Kyungu in Karonga.
Meanwhile, the minibus is being kept at the Regional Immigration Office while the arrested persons are currently awaiting legal proceedings.
The Congolese nationals will answer the charge of illegal entry contrary to section 21 subsection 1 of the Malawi Immigration Act Chapter 15:03 of the Laws of Malawi while the two Malawians will answer the offence of aiding and abetting foreign nationals to enter in Malawi illegally contrary to section 36 subsection 1 b of the Malawi Immigration Act Chapter 15:03 of the Laws of Malawi.
