adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
South African police have arrested a 38-year-old woman at Beitbridge Border Post, who was smuggling an assortments of explosives worth thousands of rands into the neighbouring country.
Limpopo police spokesperson Constable Maphure Manamela said the suspect was arrested at around 8am on Sunday.
She said the woman was travelling from Zimbabwe to South Africa though her nationality was still to be ascertained.
“The suspect was arrested while police were conducting their routine searches at the border post,” said Cst Manamela.
“The bus that she was travelling in had just crossed over when it was directed to the searching bay for inspection. During the search, two hundred (200) × units of Superpower 90 Blasting cartridges were recovered in her luggage wrapped inside plastic bags. The origin and destination of these explosives will still be determined by the ongoing police investigations.”
Cst Manamela said the suspect will soon appear at Musina Magistrate’s Court charged with possession of illegal explosives.
The smuggling of explosives into South Africa through Beitbridge has become a perennial headache for border authorities.
The Herald understands that these are used for ATM bombings or illegal mining activities in the neighbouring country, especially in Gauteng and Free State provinces.
Over 40 people were arrested between 2015 and 2017, while smuggling similar contraband between the two countries.
In January, a 30-year old Zimbabwean man was jailed for an effective 15 years for smuggling explosives worth R200 000 through the same border post.
Nqobizitha Ncube was arrested in September last year by the neighbouring country’s specialised crime unit, the Hawks.
He was in the company of two others, Marvellous Jore (42) and Musina Shoko (47) who were later acquitted for lack of incriminating evidence.
In 2015, two women all from Bulawayo aged; 41 and 23 were fined R20 000 each for smuggling 180 detonators into the neighbouring country.
Online Reporter