26 deported in Zimbabwe visa scam

Harare — A SENIOR immigration officer has gone into hiding after he allegedly issued 26 Bangladeshis with visas without authority.

Police have since launched a manhunt for Alter Upenyu Nhidza who was based at Kanyemba Border Post.

It is believed that Nhidza is only one link in a syndicate that has seen Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Somalis trickling into the country mostly through illegal entry points en route to South Africa.

The 26 Bangladeshis with the fake visas were deported at the Harare International Airport on Monday. They arrived separately in two groups via Kenya. Eighteen aboard a Kenyan Airways flight and eight on Ethiopian Airlines.

Immigration officials at the airport discovered the visas were not genuine after screening the Bangladeshis. Preliminary investigations indicate that Nhidza could have issued several fake visas to Bangladeshis and other foreigners who are already in the country.

The Herald understands that a sizeable number of Pakistanis, Somalis, and Bangladeshis entered Zimbabwe with the aid of rogue immigration officials.

Assistant regional immigration officer (investigations) Mr Evans Siziba yesterday confirmed that police were looking for Nhidza. He said the department had roped in the Criminal Investigations Department Serious Frauds Squad to get to the bottom of the matter.

“We have launched a manhunt for Nhidza who was residing in Norton.

“Anyone with information leading to his arrest should contact their nearest police station or our immigration officers,” said Mr Siziba. He said Nhidza allegedly took visas sticker boxes at the department’s Harare headquarters and “issued” these to the travelers.

The boxes were destined for Kanyemba Border Post. “They were to be used at Kanyemba border post but surprisingly we saw them coming with the Bangladeshis through the airport,” said Mr Siziba.

Investigations revealed that Nhidza had charged about US$600 per “visa”. Mr Siziba said this was not the first time that they had deported Bangladeshis at the airport. The Herald