Large bundles of banknotes were detected on board the aircraft that landed in Harare yesterday (14 February). A dead person was found in the aircraft during the search operation.
´State officials in Zimbabwe have impounded a chartered U.S. freighter stuffed with millions of South African Rands on behalf of South Africa’s Central Bank as local media indicate. The
investigators had been alarmed by local airport personnel who detected blood dripping out of the hull during the technical stop of the plane at Harare Airport on way to Durban, South
Africa.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe confirmed the issue, saying the plane belonged to the Florida-based Western Global Airlines.
The cockpit crew asked for permission to land in Harare during a flight from Munich, Germany to South Africa and it was during refueling that airport staff noticed some blood. In the subsequent
search a body was discovered. Reports said the captain had requested for a technical landing at the Harare International Airport after Mozambique had turned down an initial request.
Highly mysterious backgrounds
Investigations were said to be going on while the dead body was taken to pathologists. The nationality of the dead person is still unknown at this point in time. South African Ambassador to
Zimbabwe Vusi Mavimbela confirmed the incident but did not deliver any details. He said he wouldn’t comment on the case because investigations were still ongoing.
Unconfirmed reports say the crew consisted of two U.S. citizens, a Pakistani and a South African. Meanwhile, they have been arrested and put in custody.
The nationality of the dead person could not be established until now nor any details of how he lost his life.
Western Global operates a fleet of eleven MD-11Fs and one 747-400BCF according to their site.
James and Sunny Neff own the private cargo airline.
Efforts to get a comment from the carrier or ZIM's Aviation Authority were fruitless.
Heiner Siegmund
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