Two arrested at Beitbridge border post for smuggling illegal explosives

In a significant bust, two male suspects were arrested at the Beitbridge border post in the early hours of Thursday.

The men, aged 32 and 42, were caught for attempting to smuggle commercial explosives into South Africa from Zimbabwe.

The suspects are expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Friday. They face charges of smuggling and possession of explosives.

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According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the suspects were caught after their Toyota Quantum with a trailer was stopped and searched around midnight. The commercial explosives were found concealed in bags inside the Quantum.

“Members of the Musina explosive unit attended the scene and 124 blasting cartridges, and at least 109 safety fuses were confiscated,” said Ledwaba.

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Limpopo’s police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, commended the members for their vigilance and swift action in intercepting the alleged smugglers.

Similar incident in October

In a similar incident in October 2023, the Hawks apprehended a 38-year-old Zimbabwean man for illegal possession of explosives.

The man was arrested in the early hours of a Friday morning, after the police received a tip-off the suspect was en-route to Johannesburg.

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SA’s border problems

In an attempt to fix South Africa’s borders, the Border Management Authority was established on 1 April 2023.

The entity was officially launched on 5 October, in Musina, Limpopo.

At the time of the launch, President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa’s border problems made the country weak and open to corruption and crime from other countries.

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He added the need for a strengthened border to combat illegal immigration.

“It is important to curb human smuggling and trafficking. The Border Management Authority will help in combatting cross-border crime as well. That is why it has become an important arm of our security apparatus.”