ASPIRING Zanu PF party Hurungwe constituency legislator Pax Muringazuva was yesterday arraigned before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi to answer to human trafficking charges.
He is accused of trafficking eight Pakistani nationals into
the country.
Muringazuva, who was represented by Admire Rubaya, was
granted $300 000 bail by Mangosi.
Allegations are that between November 2022 and January 16,
2023, he connived with others, who are still at large and believed to be in
Pakistan, to assist eight Pakistani nationals to fraudulently acquire
Zimbabwean holiday visas.
The eight arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International
Airport in Harare on January 16 aboard Qatar Airways QR611 and Ethiopian
Airways Flight number ET873.
They stated that Muringazuva was their host on the
immigration forms and were handed 30-day holiday visas based on forged visa
approval letters.
On the same date at around 2pm, Muringazuva was arrested in
Mabelreign, Harare, while hosting them.
Muringazuva is alleged to be part of an organised
international human trafficking syndicate.
It is alleged that the intention was to further transport
the Pakistani nationals to South Africa.
The forged visas were purportedly signed by the chief
director for immigration.
The eight Pakistani nationals were identified as Farukh
Dilawar, Tahir Azeem, Sikandar Zulqarnain, Muhammad Tahir, Muhammad Fayaz,
Muhammad Arham Assif, Muhammad Waqas Ali Ghazi and Muhammad Waqas Ali.
The crime was discovered by detectives from the CID Counter
Terrorism Unit, which received information that the eight Pakistanis were
harboured at number 19 Dorchester Road, Mabelreign in Harare, leading to
Muringazuva’s arrest.
The State alleges that the eight Pakistanis were crowded in
a single room at a cottage on the accused person’s property, and none of them
had money for their upkeep.
Meanwhile, the eight trafficked Pakistanis have appeared
before Mangosi charged with fraud for falsifying their documents.
They were remanded in custody to today for bail
application. The foreign nationals were represented by Lucky Dube. Newsday
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