Terror suspect arrested at border

Terror suspect arrested at border

From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE

TWO Pakistani illegal immigrants, one of whom is believed to be an international terrorist, were on Sunday night intercepted by Zimbabwean security agents at Beitbridge Border Post as they tried to enter South Africa.

The names of the two are being withheld as investigations continue.

Immigration Department sources said neither was armed when the arrests were made.

"One of the suspects is believed to be a well-known terrorist who is usually based in Santiago," one official said.

Santiago is the capital city of Chile.

It is understood that the two flew from Saudi Arabia to Tanzania where they fraudulently acquired Kenyan passports before connecting to Zimbabwe by road.

Their luck, however, ran out on Sunday night when an alert immigration officer at Beitbridge who discovered that they were using fake passports intercepted them.

"The official alerted the Police Border Control Unit leading to the arrest of the duo.

"They were travelling on a bus that was coming from Harare," another source said.

The two were briefly held in Beitbridge before being transferred to Harare.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commi-ssioner Wayne Bvudzijena last night said he did not yet have information on the matter.

He advised The Herald to get back to him today for an update. However, senior immigration officers in both Harare and Beitbridge confirmed the arrest.

An official based in Harare said: "It is still a sensitive issue and is under investigation."

None of the officials would give indications as to what preliminary investigations pointed to or why the duo was going to South Africa.

They also would not say if an international arrest warrant had been issued or what particular acts of terror the suspected terrorist was wanted for and in which countries he was sought.

There had been fears that terrorists might target South Africa as it hosts the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.

However, South African police assured the world ahead of the event — which started on June 11 and ends on July 11 — that everything was under control and so far the fears have amounted to nothing.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police also said ahead of the global soccer showcase that they were on high alert to ensure no one used Zimbabwe as a transit route for any mischief in South Africa.

ZRP has also established a World Cup command centre and is liaising with South African police and Interpol on regional security issues.

published by; The Herald , 25 June 2010
www.herald.co.zw