Explosives smugglers denied bail

THREE Zimbabweans arrested last week at Beitbridge Border Post for allegedly smuggling $30 000 worth of explosives into neighboring South Africa appeared in a Musina Court on Tuesday and were denied bail.

Murino Floyd (26) Tonderai Munthisi (33) and Tichavavamwe Shupai (37), briefly appeared in court which ruled that they be kept in custody until August 13 pending further investigations by police, South African Police Services spokesperson, Moatshe Ngoepe, said in an update to the media.

"They were all denied bail and their case was postponed to August 13 2018 for further police investigations," he said.

The three, whose addresses were not given, were arrested after their truck was stopped at the South African Revenue Services scan, which revealed suspicious images inside the horse of the truck, later identified as explosives.

Police confiscated both the explosives with a street value of $30 000 and the truck, whose value was not given.

It is the third time this year that people have been arrested for illegal possession of explosives at the South African side of the border post.

The consignments will have passed undetected on the Zimbabwean side of the border, exposing the country's porous border posts.