MEMBERS of the Beitbridge Task Team, who guard the border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, arrested two suspects with explosives during a stop and search along the N1 between Musina and Beitbridge on Friday.
South Africa Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said members of the Beitbridge Task Team were busy conducting a stop and search operation along the N1 road between Musina and Beitbridge, when they stopped a blue Toyota Corolla sedan. Ledwaba said there were two people in the vehicle.
“Upon searching the vehicle, the members found four bags in the boot of the car containing 247 blasting cartridges, 1 250 connector capped fuses and seven reels of detonating cords,” he said.
Ledwaba said the two suspects were immediately apprehended on the spot. He said the explosives as well as the motor vehicle were confiscated.
Provincial police commissioner in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended the members involved for their dedication. “Police investigations into the origin of these explosives and intended destination are underway,” said Ledwaba.
Police said the two suspects will appear in the Musina magistrate court yesterday. In a separate incident last month, a 30-year-old South African man
appeared before the Beitbridge Magistrate’s Court in Zimbabwe after he was arrested for allegedly smuggling a pistol and 50 rounds of live ammunition into the neighbouring country.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, three foreign nationals, one woman and two men, were arrested by the police at Beitbridge border post for allegedly being in possession of commercial explosives. The suspects were arrested as they crossed into South Africa from Zimbabwe. The police said at the time that they were called by members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after they came across the three suspects near the SANDF support base, crossing the borderline from Zimbabwe to South Africa carrying a backpack and two luggage bags.
— The Mercury