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A 47-year-old man has been accused of fraudulently acquiring Zimbabwean holiday visas for eight foreign nationals and facilitating human trafficking.
Pax Muringazuva was granted $300 000 bail when he appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi yesterday. He will be back in court on March 23.
It is the State’s case that between November last year and January 16, Muringazuva hatched a plan with his accomplices, who are on the run, to acquire holiday visas for eight Pakistanis.
The State said on January 16 at around 10 am, eight Pakistan nationals arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
They indicated that they were being hosted by Muringazuva for 30 days.
They were given 30-day holiday visas based on the forged visa approval letters.
On the same day at around 2pm, Muringazuva was arrested at his Mabelreign home for assisting people to enter Zimbabwe illegally.
Muringazuva is also being accused of being part of an organised transnational criminal syndicate that facilitates human trafficking.
It is alleged Muringazuva connived with his accomplices based in Pakistan and South Africa to illegally transport eight victims to Zimbabwe with the intention to further traffic them to South Africa for exploitation.
The State said he used forged visa authorisations purportedly signed by the Chief Director Immigration.
When Muringazuva was arrested, the Pakistanis were found crowded in a single room in his cottage.
It is alleged that none of them had money for their upkeep or survival.
Meanwhile, the eight Pakistan nationals were remanded in custody for fraudulently acquiring immigration visa approval letters.
Farukh Dilawar,20, Tahir Azeem,37, Sikandar Zulqarnain,31, Muhammad Tahir, 26, Muhammad Fayaz, 39, Muhammad Asif, 26, Muhammad Ghazi, 15, and Muhammad Ali, 28, were remanded in custody as the State hunts for an interpreter.
Essel Zinhiva appeared for the State.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter