{{MANZINI }} –{ An undercover police officer from the Intelligence Bureau, who was on an operation at Sundowners Lodge and Backpackers, was arrested after he had rounded up a group of Rwandan nationals.}
Mandla Khumalo of Mbabane appeared before Manzini Magistrate Mthokozisi Dlamini charged with drink-driving.
He was arrested by officers from Manzini Police Station at Mhlaleni.
Reliable sources revealed that Khumalo had received information that the group of Rwandan nationals was at Sundowners Lodge and Backpackers, situated at Bethany, drinking alcohol.
He had allegedly been informed that the said foreigners had entered and remained in the country without valid permits or passports.
On Saturday, upon arrival at the bar to question them about their illegal entry and stay in the country, Khumalo allegedly realised that they were enjoying alcoholic drinks and decided to join them so he could obtain information about them being illegal immigrants.
Rules
After a few hours, when they had revealed that they were in the country illegally, they were cautioned according to the judge’s rules and ordered to go to the Police Regional Headquarters in Manzini where they would be formally charged with contravening the Immigration Act.
On the way to the regional headquarters, while the Rwandans were aboard a private vehicle, a Toyota Corolla driven by Khumalo, they found the Manzini police at Mhlaleni, who had mounted a roadblock.
When they stopped the vehicle, they suspected that Khumalo had been drinking.
Upon recording his breath specimen, Khumalo’s alcohol content was found to be 0.70mg/l, which was above the legal limit of 0.38mg/l.
The officer was arrested and charged with contravening the Road Traffic Act.
However, it could not be ascertained whether the Rwandan nationals were also arrested at the time of compiling this report. Well placed sources, however, revealed that they allegedly escaped when the traffic officers were arresting Khumalo.
{{Time of Swaziland}}
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