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.
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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.
