News / Regional
Bus caught with 10 border jumpers at Beitbridge
05 Apr 2013 at 04:21hrs | Views
A 39-year-old Harare-based cross-border bus conductor was fined $250 after trying to smuggle 10 illegal immigrants into South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post.
George Chindani of Mufakose and employed by Hawk Bus Company admitted to contravening a section of the Immigration Act (assisting border jumpers) when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa.
He was sentenced to eight months in jail but four months were conditionally suspended for five years. The other four months were suspended on condition he paid the $250 fine. It was the State's case that on March 26 this year at around 11pm, Chindani arrived at Beitbridge Border Post en route to South Africa. The bus had 65 passengers, including 10 illegal immigrants who wanted to skip the border into South Africa.
Among the illegal immigrants were five adults and five minors aged between seven months and 13 years.
The bus crew and other passengers then underwent all the immigration and customs formalities and left the border for South Africa. The bus was, however, stopped by alert detectives from the Border Control Unit at the exit gate.
The police then asked all the passengers to produce their travel documents. It was then discovered that they were 10 border jumpers on the bus who were then taken in for question and they revealed they had engaged Chindani to assist them in skipping the border into South Africa.
George Chindani of Mufakose and employed by Hawk Bus Company admitted to contravening a section of the Immigration Act (assisting border jumpers) when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Miss Gloria Takundwa.
He was sentenced to eight months in jail but four months were conditionally suspended for five years. The other four months were suspended on condition he paid the $250 fine. It was the State's case that on March 26 this year at around 11pm, Chindani arrived at Beitbridge Border Post en route to South Africa. The bus had 65 passengers, including 10 illegal immigrants who wanted to skip the border into South Africa.
The bus crew and other passengers then underwent all the immigration and customs formalities and left the border for South Africa. The bus was, however, stopped by alert detectives from the Border Control Unit at the exit gate.
The police then asked all the passengers to produce their travel documents. It was then discovered that they were 10 border jumpers on the bus who were then taken in for question and they revealed they had engaged Chindani to assist them in skipping the border into South Africa.
Source - news
