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Zimbabwe police intercept 700 explosives

by Staff reporter
17 Jun 2019 at 09:19hrs | Views
Police intercepted a bus along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway last weekend and recovered more than 750 explosives worth $5 800 believed to have been on the way to South Africa.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police officers at a roadblock along the Harare–Beitbridge Highway, stopped a bus on June 7, 2019 at around 2am, which was travelling from Harare to Beitbridge, at the 209km peg.

"Routine searches conducted led to the recovery of 660 super 90 Jelly tubes (Explogels), 100 capped fuses and 2 rolls igniting cables weighing 15 kg," said Asst Comm Nyathi.

"The recovered explosives are valued at $5 800 and investigations to establish the owner(s) are on-going.

"Members of the public are urged not to endanger the lives of others by transporting explosives on passenger carrying vehicles."

Investigations carried out so far reveal that explosives are smuggled into South Africa where they are either used to blow up ATMs by armed robbers or in illegal mining.

Recently, a 29-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of dynamites and various other explosives at a roadblock along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway in Bubi. Godknows Nkomo was arrested and his accomplice disappeared at the roadblock while they were boarding a Toyota Granvia.

In another related incident, police in Norton arrested six men last month for illegal possession and transportation of explosives.

The two incidents came after a Zimbabwean woman was recently arrested while smuggling an assortment of explosives into South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post.

Source - the herald