Ninety-nine militiamen fleeing from southern Somalia have been detained in southern Tanzania, local press reported on Wednesday.

The militiamen were travelling in a truck toward a border post between Tanzania and Zambia late on Monday when they were detained by local immigration officers, Daily News newspaper quoted Mbeya Regional Commissioner John Mwakipesile as confirming.

So far the militiamen did not reveal their point of entry into Tanzania.

The regional commissioner said the militiamen were in transit to neighboring Malawi.

Police in Mbeya are manhunting two foreigners believed to be behind the human trafficking scheme.

Regional authorities are expected to take legal actions against the owner of the truck as well as the driver of the truck who were both based in Makambako in southern Tanzania.

The militiamen allegedly paid 500,000 Tanzanian shillings (400 U.S. dollars) for the trip to the border.

This was the largest single reported haul of illegal immigrants in Tanzania this year.

Source: Xinhua