Zambian court convicts Burundian national for human smuggling

A court in Zambia has convicted a Burundian national on 27 counts of human smuggling, an immigration spokesperson said Monday.

Namati Nshinka, the Immigration Department’s Public Relations officer, said Amani Ntahomvukiye, 50, a Burundian transporter, was convicted of human smuggling on April 21, 2023.

According to him, the Burundian, who was also convicted for facilitating the illegal entry of 27 Burundians on Jan. 9 and 10, was arrested on Jan. 12 in the Chirundu district, south of Zambia following a tip-off from members of the public.

Nshinka said in a statement that the Burundian national has since been committed to the high court for sentencing while arrangements to repatriate the victims have reached an advanced stage.

He said investigations revealed that the victims each paid 500 U.S. dollars to be taken to South Africa. Enditem