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Ethiopian, Somali immigrants seized in Arusha
2006-03-29 08:15:34
By Adam Ihucha, Arusha
A Total of nine illegal immigrants of Ethiopian and Somali origin who were purportedly on transit to South Africa have been arrested at Namanga border post and in Longido district in Arusha Region.
Confirming the report, the Arusha Regional Immigration Officer, Justine Kabigumira, said the illegal immigrants were arrested last Friday and Saturday.
He named the illegal immigrant, who was to connect to Dar es Salaam aboard Akamba Bus Service as Ahmed Mohamed of Somali origin who was apprehended last Friday.
Ethiopian aliens who were apprehended in Longido District include Tesema Madebo with passport No. EP 018863 issued on January 27 this year in Addis Ababa and Merid Mengesha whose details were not immediately available.
Others are Gerbore Ertumo Imore with passport number EP 0097103 issued on July 15 last year and Dimore Alemu Kobiro with passport number EP 0205075 of February 24 this year.
Others in the list are Addise Laebo, Tefer Erqho and Shaafi Mahamud.
’The suspects were on transit to South Africa via Tanzania and normally they used to stop in Arusha and Dar-es-salaam as per instructions from their agent, who was also to arrange for their departure to the country of their destination via Malawi and Mozambique,’ he said.
Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions are slowly becoming a gateway for Ethiopia and Somali aliens in transit to South Africa via Malawi and Mozambique.
An investigation carried out by this paper recently revealed that illegal rackets of smuggling Ethiopia and Somali nationals was of late coming up in a full swing through illegal paths existing at Holili and Namanga borders, dubbed as panya routes.
Impeccable sources told the Guardian in Holili border post that the notorious kingpins or facilitators behind the racket, who normally arrange the illegal immigrant departure to their countries of destination via Malawi and Mozambique, were reaping a lot of money through the illegal trade.
According to the source, the facilitators who were available in Himo in Tanzania side and Taveta on the Kenyan side have been smuggling into the country, a number of Ethiopian and Somali aliens at a cost of US$200 (240,000/-) per person.
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