Zambia rearrests 8 Croatians suspected of child trafficking

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Authorities in Zambia have rearrested eight Croatians to stop them from leaving the country after child trafficking charges against them were dismissed by a court.

The four Croatian couples were first arrested at an airport in northern Zambia on Dec. 7 over suspicions that they were trying to traffic four children.

The couples claimed they adopted the children from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The eight have been identified as Zoran Subosic, Immovic Subosic, Damir Magic, Nadic Magic, Ladislav Persic, Aleksandra Persic, Noah Kraljevic, and Ivona Kraljevic.

They pleaded not guilty to child trafficking charges and a court dismissed the case on Monday, ordering them to leave Zambia within 48 hours.

The Immigration Department, however, rearrested them on Tuesday.

They were rearrested on orders from Zambia’s National Prosecutions Authority (NPA), Immigration Department spokesman Namati Nshinka said.

New charges against them have yet to be finalized, according to the official.