adminBeitbridge Bureau
A SOUTH African magistrate yesterday remanded 14 Zimbabweans in custody to Wednesday next week following their arrest three days ago for smuggling explosives worth R350,000. South African police intercepted the group of men aged between 18 and 42 at an illegal entry point along the Limpopo River and recovered the explosives. Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said the group entered that country illegally and were arrested some 10km east of the border post. “The 14 suspects appeared before a Musina magistrate charged with unauthorised importation, supply and or possession of an explosive and were remanded in custody to July 23.
“They were arrested after being found in possession of 100 detonators and cartridges worth over R350,000 in their bags,” said Brig Mulaudzi.
He said police in the neighbouring country have intensified patrols and searches on travellers in light of an increase in cases of smuggling.
“We are worried about the recurrence of such cases where people try to smuggle these explosives into the country. We suspect these are used for illegal mining activities and ATM bombings,” he said.
The suspects were arrested on the same day when a 41-year-old Bulawayo woman was fined R20,000 by the same court for smuggling 80 detonators into that country through Beitbridge Border Post.
Another 23-year-old Zimbabwean woman Elita Sibanda was early this year jailed for eight years after she was found with 26 plastic cartridges and 100 detonators.
Online Reporter