THE case of 89 Ethiopian nationals found packed inside a fuel tanker in Kapiri Mposhi has ended with a Mukobeko Mobile Court fining 82 adults and ordering their deportation, while sparing the tanker after ruling that its owners were unaware of the crime.
Sitting at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility in Kabwe, resident magistrate Wamundila heard that all the adult accused persons pleaded guilty to being unlawfully present in Zambia after failing to appear before an Immigration Officer at a port of entry.
The court convicted the 82 adults and slapped each of them with a K3,000 fine, giving them up to the last day of this year to pay.
Those who fail to settle the fines will serve three months’ simple imprisonment before being deported from the country.
The matter arose from a shocking incident on November 23, 2025, when law enforcement officers intercepted a fuel tanker truck and trailer in Kapiri Mposhi District.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 89 Ethiopian nationals hidden inside the tanker.
Further investigations revealed that some of the individuals had passports that were not endorsed by Zambian Immigration authorities, while others had no valid travel documents, leading to all of them being classified as prohibited immigrants.
In the course of the trial, public prosecutors Veronica Chikoye, Henry Katwishi and Suwilanji Chisi applied for the forfeiture of the tanker truck and trailer, arguing that the vehicle had been used to facilitate the illegal transportation of immigrants.
But in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, the court dismissed the application, stating that the transport company that owns the tanker had no knowledge that its driver was using the vehicle to commit a crime.
According to the National Prosecution Authority, the magistrate ruled that forfeiture could therefore not be justified.
The court also concluded the diversion process for the seven children who were found among the group.
Instead of facing criminal punishment, the minors were diverted from the formal court system in line with child justice procedures.
The diversion was facilitated by the National Prosecution Authority through its witness liaison officer, working in collaboration with the Department of Immigration and the Department of Social Welfare.
The children were warned against engaging in similar offences in future.
By George Musonda
Kalemba December 25, 2025
