Two Indians in court for human trafficking

A WITNESS has testified that two Indians were charged for human trafficking after they facilitated issuance of two green national registration cards (NRCs) to a fellow Indian using fake adoption papers.

The witness, Jane Kaela Lufwendo, a senior immigration officer, said this yesterday when she testified in a case where Batek Iqram Haji Ishaq has been charged with Daud Mohmed Bhol for trafficking into Zambia Sahil Nazir Ambliwala for purposes of exploitation.

Bhol has since jumped bail, leaving Ishaq alone in the case.

Ms. Lufwendo said before Lusaka Magistrate Felix Kaoma that immigration officers apprehended Ambliwala in Emmasdale Township after receiving information that he had two green NRCs.

“He was handed over to me for further investigations. He had two green NRCs and an immigration visiting permit. I established that he entered Zambia legally and upon expiry of his visiting permit, he was issued with 90 visiting days with the help of Daud Bhol who was paid K35, 000 for facilitating the process.

“Around September 2018 Daud facilitated issuance of the first green NRC to Sahil. Later Sahil noticed that his details on the NRC were not correct as it was indicated that he was born in Lusaka but he was born in India. He communicated this with Daud Bhol but the two decided to keep the said NRC,” Ms. Lufwendo said.

She said later Bhol left Zambia for India and Sahil asked Ishaq to help him get another NRC, which was issued using fake adoption papers that were presented to the National Registration Office.

She said she verified with the Department of Social Welfare and the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court if Ishaq was legally adopted but the two institutions did not have his records.

“Based on these findings,

I made up my mind to jointly charge Daud and Sahil for forgery.

I also charged Sahil and Ishaq for obtaining false registration into the adoption register, giving false information to the registration officer, and obtaining Zambian citizenship by false pretences.

“I also charged Sahil for unlawful stay in Zambia.

At the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) Sahil was turned into a State witness and the NPA came up with the offence of human trafficking that is before this court,” Ms. Lufwendo said.

She said at the national registration and passports office she discovered that the second NRC number issued to Sahil belonged to Zambian woman identified as Beatrice Chauma.

Trial continues.