Police Intercept Container With 155 Illegal Immigrants
(Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique) Maputo — The Mozambican police on Sunday intercepted a truck carrying a container in which 155 foreigners, from Ethiopia and Somalia, were traveling, reports Wednesday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”.
One of these illegal migrants had already died of asphyxiation, and a further 50 were in a severely weakened condition, and required medical care.
The truck had entered Mozambique from Malawi, and was driving through Tete province en route to the port city of Beira, where the clandestine migrants would have been unloaded.
The police stopped the truck at a police checkpoint at Matambo, in Changara district, some 20 kilometres south of Tete city. They could hear screams from inside the container, of passengers apparently complaining that they were suffocating to death.
When the truck driver realized that the police knew what he was carrying, he sped away, with the police in pursuit. After a further 20 kilometres, the driver abandoned the truck. The police opened the container and found 68 young Somalis and 87 Ethiopians. The health authorities were called in to revive those who were seriously ill.
The passengers had travelled for many hours from a refugee camp in Malawi inside the windowless metallic container, without any food or drinking water.
The Tete police told reporters they hope to deport the group back to Malawi on Wednesday.
This is the second group of illegal foreigners to be repatriated to Malawi in less than a week. Another 98 were caught crossing the border at Zobue, also in Tete, in another truck on Friday.
In both cases, the police confirmed that the drivers, both of Malawian nationality, managed to run away, but the companies for which they are working have provided the necessary information to have them arrested, and have offered to cooperate with the police.
The owners of those companies, though admitting that the trucks are theirs, deny any involvement in the business of transporting illegal immigrants, and promise to cooperate with the authorities and give all the necessary information.
Email This Post |
FORUM | 5 Comments
I just don’t Know about my people any more there suffering. One time we were one of the proudest people.but look at us Know even mozambique even it is not better DEATH TO WOYANNE
[Reply]
April 9th, 2008 at 9:43 PM
So shocking!
I could feel the feeling of those desperate fellows. What could we say except praying to God. To those of us who are given much much is expected. Let us help our brethern every where in the world in their need. You and I are not in that truck today but who knows tomorrow. May God restore our nation and lead us in to the great patures.
In Sympahthy
[Reply]
April 9th, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Woyanes’ crime is unforgetable.
[Reply]
April 10th, 2008 at 7:25 AM
Very Sad….
[Reply]
April 10th, 2008 at 9:40 AM
May God Bless the Ethiopian refugees. A day will come when there will be peace in the Horn of Africa, and people don’t have to flee their God-Given lands anymore. And those who fled in tears, will come home with joy and laughter.
That day will come. Just Believe and Trust in the Lord.
May God Bless Ethiopians, Somalians, Eritreans and the whole African continent.
[Reply]
April 13th, 2008 at 2:49 AM