By James Kunda
LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambia's immigration officials seized 372 passports and arrested seven suspects Thursday, including four foreign nationals, in connection with a human trafficking network, according to an official statement.
Immigration Department spokesman Namati Nshinka said among the confiscated travel documents were 212 passports from Burundi, 44 from Zambia, 20 Zambian refugee passports, eight from Rwanda, seven from Nigeria, two from Cameroon, one from Bangladesh, and another from Zimbabwe.
"The department also recovered various pieces of Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and other devices believed to have been used to forge the respective passports. The suspects include three Zambians, three from Burundi, and one from Congo DR. The operation involved the production and use of fraudulent identity and travel documents to obtain visas and facilitate illegal movements of both Zambians and foreign nationals," said Nshinka.
Zambia remains a targeted conduit for human trafficking due to its geographical centrality, with victims from the Horn of Africa to the continent's southern tip, who are seeking “greener pastures.”
Nshinka said other security wings are engaged in investigations due to a range of offenses, with an additional suspect linked to the network under pursuit, because of that person’s disguised role as a travel facilitator.