US plane impounded in Zimbabwe; body and cash found on board

According to state ZBC radio, the jet cargo plane left Munich at 8pm on Saturday, and landed for refuelling at Harare International Airport yesterday morning.

Western Global Airlines headquarters appears to be in an office park off Corkscrew Road next to Estero Community Park.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe general manager Mr David Chaota confirmed the incident last night. “But then a search was made and the body of an adult male fell out”, a source told ANA. State-owned television ZBC TV said they included two Americans, one South African and a Pakistani.

According to Bloomberg, the money was a consignment for the South African Reserve Bank, which is working with authorities in Harare to ensure it is released and transported to South Africa.

“The matter was reported to the authorities at the airport and the plane was impounded while the body was taken to pathologists”, the Herald quoted an aviation source as saying.

Twelve years ago, Zimbabwe impounded another plane and arrested 64 mercenaries who were en route to Equatorial Guinea to depose the government of that country. The whereabouts of the crew have not been revealed.

“Unfortunately there was a stowaway that was found on the plane and (Zimbabwe) authorities are trying to get to the bottom of the issue”, he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the police were fruitless as police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba’s mobile phone went unanswered.