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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A SENIOR immigration officer based in Plumtree was arrested by Botswana police over the weekend in the neighbouring country after he was found in possession of 70 Zimbabwean passports belonging to different people.
Principal Immigration Officer in charge of Mphoengs Border Post, Mncedisi Ngwenya, 34, is alleged to have been involved in a scam that saw him illegally extending days for Zimbabweans working in Botswana for a fee.

A police source said Ngwenya was arrested and interrogated at Botswana’s Matsilotje Police Station where he admitted to committing the offence with the help of a Botswana immigration official, Mary Kopano.

The immigration officer is alleged to have been collecting passports from Zimbabweans working in Botswana and stamping them at a fee of 100 pula each.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Philani Ndebele confirmed Ngwenya’s arrest by Botswana law enforcement agents whom he said were still handling the case.

Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of the compliance office, Francis Mabika told Chronicle that his department was investigating the case against Ngwenya. “We received a report that Ngwenya who is one of our immigration officers was arrested in Botswana. We are carrying out our own investigations as a department to find out what transpired”.

“Ngwenya is at work right now but we do not know how he was released from the police. Once our investigations are complete, we will be in a position to take appropriate action,” said Mabika.

He added: “It is taking us long to get the full facts because the offence was committed in another country.”
A source at the border post said Ngwenya was arrested on Saturday in Francistown while taking the passports to his clients.

“Ngwenya went through Mpoengs Border Post with the passports and when he got to Francistown he was stopped by Botswana police who were conducting searches.

“They found 70 stamped Zimbabwean passports belonging to different people working in Botswana stashed in his bag and they arrested him. He was detained by the police but they later released him and now the immigration office is investigating the matter,” said the source.

He said: “It appears that Ngwenya was assisting people to stay in Botswana illegally. He was stamping their passports for a fee. This scam is being done by a number of immigration officials in Zimbabwe in conjunction with their Botswana counterparts.

“Zimbabweans working in Botswana who have exceeded the number of days stated on the passports pay immigration officers on both sides to put stamps on their passports in order to extend their days.”

He said Ngwenya has since been moved to the Plumtree Border Post where he is being monitored as investigations continue.  Ngwenya is also alleged to have been smuggling goods into the country using his personal vehicle through the Mpoengs Border Post.