51 Ethiopians have been rescued in Mbala from what was deemed as the ‘journey to the promised land’ in which they spent about four months in the forests being transported in containerised trucks enroute to South Africa.
Three Zambians have since been detained to assit with investigations.
The Ethiopians are believed to have been recruited by unknown people who lured them with promises of jobs in South Africa.
Immigration spokesperson Namati Nshinka said the operation took place on Saturday last week after information that some Ethiopians had been captured.
“The Ethiopians revealed that they left Ethiopia four months ago and embarked on the daunting perilous journey to their Promised Land, passing through forest thickets, being fed every three days, and later transported in a containerized truck,” he said.