A well-coordinated syndicate involving some immigration officers and local transporters has been uncovered at the Mchinji Border Post, where fake Temporary Travel Documents (TTDs) are being processed and stamped for travellers lacking valid passports.
Investigations have revealed that the fraudulent operation takes place around midnight, with immigration officers allegedly stamping the forged TTDS for a fee. Sources indicate that each document costs K20,000 on the Malawian side and an additional K20,000 on the Zambian side, bringing the total cost per document to K40,000.
The documents are reportedly processed in batches of up to 100, mostly for passengers boarding two specific local buses.
The buses in question use the Mchinji route via the Chilundu border post and continue their journey to Landburg. These trips commonly occur between the 25th and 31st of each month, suggesting a pattern linked to end-of-month travel.
It has also emerged that passengers without valid passports are being charged between K650,000 and K700,000 per person by the transporters. This high fee reportedly covers the cost of the fake documents, transport, and facilitation at both border points.
Transporters from Mzuzu and Mzimba districts are heavily involved in the racket. The collaboration between these transporters and immigration officials raises serious concerns about border security and the integrity of Malawi’s immigration system.
“The documents look very real, but they are fake. They are stamped by real officers, and everything appears legal, which makes them hard to detect immediately,” said a source familiar with the operation.
Security experts and civil society groups have since called for a thorough investigation into the matter, urging the Malawi Immigration Department to tighten border controls and take swift disciplinary action against any officers found guilty of collusion.
One official at the Mchinji Border Post has provided the names of the officers believed to be at the centre of this criminal operation.
The exposure of this syndicate has sparked national concern, with growing calls for a complete overhaul of immigration oversight at key border posts.
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