DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzanian immigration authorities said Thursday they have arrested eight Ethiopian nationals for illegal stay in the East African nation.
Edward Chogero, the Acting Commissioner General for the Immigration Services Department, said the Ethiopians were arrested on Wednesday night in Kongowe on the outskirts of the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
"They were arrested aboard a truck owned by Dangote Cement Industries Company Limited travelling from Dar es Salaam to Mtwara," said Chogero, adding that the authorities also arrested four Tanzanians in connection with trafficking the Ethiopians.
The immigration officer warned truck drivers not to get involved in human trafficking business.
Chogero said more than 5,000 foreigners had been arrested between January and June this year over illegal immigration.
"While a few of them have been prosecuted, the majority have been deported to their countries of origin," he said.
In June last year, the Immigration Services Department expressed concerns over the rising numbers of illegal immigrants mostly from hotspots in the African region and the Middle East.
Former Deputy Commissioner of Immigration Wilson Bambaganya said the department arrested 4,792 foreigners who had no permits between January and February 2016.
Out of them, 557 were asylum seekers fleeing unrest in their countries, said Bambaganya.
In early 2016, immigration officials launched a month-long series of raids to deport hundreds of foreign nationals found to have entered the country illegally, or working without permits. Enditem
