It seems it is not only in Ghana that the Chinese are involved in illegal mining. China’s Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday that 31 of its nationals that were being held in Zambia for illegal mining have been deported from the African country. The 31 people deported included a pregnant woman and two victims of malaria.

Although China complained that Zambia provided no strong evidence of the crimes committed but the suspects arrested, Zambian immigration chief told the media that the Chinese would have to be deported for violating the laws of the country.

Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry said, “After repeated representations by China’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Zambia, on the afternoon of June 6, the 31 Chinese citizens that had been seized and detained boarded a plane and left Zambia smoothly to return home.”