The government yesterday deported a suspected Israeli diamond and gold dealer identified as Mike Raslan alias Raof, for allegedly staying in the country without the requisite papers.
Sources at the Department of Immigration said Raslan left Harare International Airport en route to Seychelles aboard a South African Airways plane at 12:15 pm yesterday.
“Mike Raslan, whose other name is Raof, was found with several passports including an Israeli passport, Seychelles passport, international driver’s licence and a Zimbabwean ID. He was arrested on February 3 2011 after a tip-off to the immigration officials on suspicion of illegally trading in gold and diamonds,” said an official who declined to be named.
The immigration official said another suspected illegal immigrant Alexander Filatov, a Russian geologist, had also been deported over similar allegations.
“Mike is alleged to have come to Zimbabwe in 2006, took up English classes at Speciss College for 18 months and got a work permit to work as a chef at an unnamed hotel,” the source said.
