South African man arrested with 12 explosives at Eswatini border

A relatively routine border crossing took a dramatic turn after authorities arrested a South African man allegedly attempting to enter Eswatini via the Mananga Border Gate with 12 Magex Maxam blasting explosives.

The 37-year-old man's vehicle was searched on Wednesday after 7am and that's when authorities made the discovery.

The product is notorious for its application in mining, quarrying, and construction industries due to its high detonation velocity and explosive power.

Times of Swaziland reported that the arrest was executed by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) during routine border checks, which prompted an immediate investigation into the matter.

The publication said authorities are now analysing not only the motives behind the suspect's possession of the explosives but also whether the explosives were intended for use within Eswatini or were meant for transportation to another country.

It was further added that top sources indicate that these explosives could be linked to planned cash-in-transit heists or ATM bombings, raising the stakes for public safety in the region.

The publication said that in December, two South African nationals, Dumisani Goodman Ngubane, 34, from Gauteng, and Lethukuthula Hlongwa, 21, from KwaZulu-Natal, were arrested together with two eSwati women, Lomakhosi Dlamini,49, Elli Olivia Khoza, 44, and Armando Maswangayi, 27, from Mozambique, after allegedly bombing an ATM, belonging to First National Bank (FNB) Eswatini and stole over half a million from an ATM.

Furthermore, the accused allegedly also bombed an ATM belonging to Eswatini Bank and stole over R320,000.

It was reported that they were found in possession of a black and silver 9mm pistol without a licence.

Meanwhile, Maswangayi and Hlongwa were also charged for entering and remaining in Eswatini without proper documents.

sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za

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