FOREIGNERS CAUGHT AGAIN WITH AMMO
* 679 rounds found at airport on Thursday
Rochelle Mutton
FOUR New Zealanders and an American were arrested for failing to declare 679 rounds of ammunition at Harare International Airport on Thursday evening, but were unsuccessfully prosecuted the following day, The Standard has established.
The officer commanding Harare Homicide and Law and Order department, Chief Superintendent Flavian Makwara, confirmed the arrests to The Standard yesterday, and said he was at a loss as to why the magistrate had failed to convict the five passengers. He said they had produced documents to prove their involvement with the Palma Match World Championship Shooting Competition in South Africa, from 6 to 24 April, but had failed to declare ammunition.
It is a well known fact in the aviation industry that ammunition risks exploding when subjected to the air pressure changes experienced on board aircraft, and there are signs at airports, and inside ticket booklets, which specifically tell passengers to declare ammunition.
Makwara said the recent spate of passengers trying to board with ammunition was alarming. "It's now become a very frequent occurrence and we don't know why. It concerns us."
Three Americans created a national security scare when they were arrested for allegedly possessing firearms and ammunition as they prepared to board a Swissair plane in March. A vehicle belonging to the trio was also found with concealed panels harbouring a sophisticated array of arms, in the car park, on the same day. They are due to make their next appearance in the Harare Magistrate's Court on 21 May, and will possibly be indicted to the High Court for trial in June.
A fourth American was arrested on 26 April in an unrelated incident for failing to declare 40 rounds of ammunition and was fined $2 000 by a Harare magistrate after he claimed to have forgotten to declare it. Makwara said he would make inquiries tomorrow to find out why the police prosecution at the Harare Magistrate's Court, on Friday at 4pm, was unsuccessful. The five have since been released from police custody. It is, however, not known whether they are still in the country or not. Police officers from the airport police post reported that small packages of 7.62 ammunition were found in four bags belonging to the five passengers, at 6.20pm on Thursday and customs officers apprehended the men in the departure lounge. They said they were part of the New Zealand Fullbore Rifle Team and had bought the ammunition in South Africa during the world championship, but claimed they did not know ammunition had to be declared. They were preparing to fly to New Zealand, via Australia, on a Qantas jet. The Hatfield officer-in-charge, Inspector Mabiza, said yesterday the five had been held in custody at his station following their arrests, and had maintained they did not know ammunition had to be declared at customs.