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Zvikomborero Parafini
THE two men, who were initially accused of bringing in 30 guns, worth US$14 000 into the country, faced a lesser charge of smuggling when they appeared in court yesterday after police realised the guns were toys worth R2000.
Police on Wednesday had said the two would be charged for illegal possession of firearms.
However, the script changed when it was found out that the guns were just toys.
The toy guns were meant for training security guards at a company owned by one of them.
The two, Douglas Emmanuel Jekanyika, 44, of Belvedere in Harare and Godknows Gunda, 31, of Msasa will be back in court today for bail considerations.
The court heard that on March 5, detectives from CID Southerton received a tip-off that the two had allegedly smuggled some firearms from South Africa into Zimbabwe through Beitbridge Border Post on Tems Logistics Bus Services.
It was claimed the intended offloading point was Highglen Road Port, Harare.
Acting on the tip-off, a team of detectives arrested Jekanyika as he was collecting the two boxes.
The boxes were opened and one had ten F92 toy guns and the other box had 20 000 blank pistol ammunition.
Upon being interviewed, Jekanyika said Gunda was the owner of the consignment.
The case was referred to CID Homicide where the guns were established to be toys.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge