adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BRITISH national sneaked into the country illegally and spent five days in a hotel in Bulawayo, a court heard.
Drury David Kevin arrived in the country through the Plumtree Border Post on 30 April but did not go through immigration formalities.
He managed to pass through the border unnoticed and put up at Palace Hotel for five days.
While trying to leave the country, immigration officers spotted him and upon inspecting his travel documents realised that his passport was not stamped on his way into the country resulting in his arrest.
Kevin appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Livard Philemon and was ordered to pay a $100 fine or spend 20 days in prison.
Prosecuting, Mr Medica Tshuma said Kevin was facing a charge of failing to present himself to immigration officials.
He said Kevin illegally entered the country on 30 April at around 2pm and was arrested on his way out on 5 May.
In mitigation, Kevin said he had surrendered his passport to a person that he thought was an immigration official.
“When I arrived into the country I gave my passport to someone I thought was an immigration official. The person took my passport and returned with it later and I assumed that I had gone through all the necessary procedures.
“I did not bother to check whether my passport had been stamped I only noticed after an immigration official pointed that out as I was leaving. I had just come into this country to visit for a few days,” he said.
He was, however, unable to pay the money and was sent to Plumtree Prison awaiting payment of the money by his wife.
Online Reporter