Zimbabwean authorities said on Monday that they had impounded a US-registered cargo plane after its owners lied about the presence of 64 men suspected of being mercenaries and about military equipment on board.
The Boeing 727-100 cargo plane was seized on Sunday night at the international airport in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, the home affairs minister, Kembo Mohadi, told reporters.
Spokesmen for the US Department of State and the Pentagon said they had no indication that the plane was connected to the US government.
The incident occurred less than a week after the US tightened economic sanctions against Zimbabwe's government, saying it was undermining the rule of law and fostering political violence. American officials threatened further strictures if Zimbabwe's leaders continued to resist efforts to resolve the country's deepening political crisis.
The plane seized on Sunday landed at the Harare airport for refueling about 5 pm, according to civil aviation officials. They said the aircraft appeared to be privately owned and under charter. Crew members said only three people were on board, the officials said.
Mohadi said, "The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities." He said an investigation was under way to determine their identities and destination.
Video images on state-run television on Monday showed backpacks, an inflatable raft and paddles inside the plane, but no weapons. State television also reported that the passengers and crew members, all of them men and most of them white, had been taken to a nearby military base.
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