By Tabora Bojang
Three Immigration officers who underwent a two-week capacity-building training on migration management, border security, and document fraud at the Italian Police Training Academy in Rome have reportedly absconded.
The absconded officers are: Assistant Immigration Control Officer Lamin Drammeh, Assistant Immigration Control Officer Basirou L Bojang and Assistant Immigration Control Officer Bambi Jah.
The trio are part of a 20-member security delegation including representatives of the Gambia Police Force (GPF), the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), and the State Intelligence Service who travelled to Italy under a bilateral cooperation to be trained on international cooperation in migration management, human rights, international protection, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and combating international stolen vehicle trafficking.
But prior to the completion of the training, the three immigration officers: Drammeh, Bojang, and Jah — who were nominated among outstanding performers of the Border Patrol Unit training programme, absconded from their residence in a manner the GID believes is “premeditated and planned”.
GID spokesperson Inspector Siman Lowe said the conduct of the abscondees “compromises the integrity” of The Gambia and could strain it’s diplomatic cooperation with Italy.
He said the GID leadership condemned these actions in the strongest possible terms and that “swift administrative and disciplinary actions” are being taken to notify Italian and European authorities while requesting the immediate tracing and removal of the three officers through coordinated channels.
Lowe added that their personal information including passport bio-data, visas, and photographs, have also been shared with the appropriate authorities for immediate action.
