Zimbabwe 'seizes US cargo plane'

[ramsrc]

A US-registered cargo plane with 64 suspected mercenaries on board has been impounded in Harare, Zimbabwe's Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi has said.
He said the Boeing 727-100 was held on Sunday after its owners "made a false declaration of its cargo and crew".

He said the plane was carrying dozens of suspected mercenaries of differing nationalities and "military material".

Mr Mohadi said an inquiry was under way to establish the men's identities and their "ultimate mission".

Source: BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3543651.stm)

[PretoriaSillyperson]

Apparently, someone told Uncle Bob that 727s run on dieso and they've run out of A1 for his latest bizjet at HRE so he's bagged the 727 as a back up.
:O

PS. You might have more luck with this one on the Africa Forum

PSP

[Woff1965]

Probably the "Wild Geese" re-enactment society annual outing !

[reynoldsno1]

Amongst the "military material" was a packet of South African crisps... it didn't mention what calibre they were, or flavour for that matter....

[Airbubba]

Hmmm, something odd about the registration mentioned in the article below.

N4610 ( http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/NNumSQL.asp?NNumbertxt=4610 ) is shown on some sources as converted to military C-22B configuration and flown under the USAF registration of 83-4610. It was later sold to Dodson Aviation ( http://www.dodson.com/ ) to be "scrapped for parts". There is a report that the plane was registered as N4620 when transferred to Dodson (see: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1983.html ).

The aircraft was a B-727-35 originally flown by National Airlines (photo: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/028855/M/ ).

Dodson does seem to do some DC-3 dealings in Africa, perhaps they sold the plane to someone there. Or maybe the plane was scrapped on paper to become one of several "unattributable" civilian "air assets" operated by military "special operations" units.

_____________________________________________


Zimbabwe Seizes U.S. - Registered Plane

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 8, 2004

Filed at 2:54 p.m. ET

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwean authorities have seized a U.S.-registered cargo plane carrying 64 ``suspected mercenaries'' and military equipment, the Home Affairs minister said Monday.

The Boeing 727-100 was detained at Harare's main airport late Sunday after its owners allegedly made ``a false declaration of its cargo and crew,'' Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said at a briefing.

``The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities,'' he said. ``Further investigations also revealed that on board was military material.''

Mohadi said more details would be released once officials have established ``the true identities of the men and their ultimate mission.''

The plane was moved to the nearby Manyame military base for further investigation, he said.

In Washington, a State Department official, asking not to be identified, said the Zimbabwean government has not raised the issue with the United States. The official added that the United States has no indication that it is an American plane or that any American citizens are involved.

U.S. Embassy officials said they had not been informed and were trying to obtain details from Zimbabwe authorities.

State-run TV broadcast footage of a white plane with the tail number N4610. Inside the aircraft, the station showed two satellite telephones, radios, blue backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, paddles, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of mace.

No weapons were shown, but the station said officials were still going through the cargo section.

Passengers and crew, all of them ``heavily built males'' and most of them white, were also taken to the base, where a detention barracks is located, state television reported.

Journalists were not shown the plane and the government's claims could not be independently verified.

President Robert Mugabe repeatedly has accused the United States and Britain of plotting to overthrow him.

In 1999, three American missionaries were arrested at Harare International Airport trying to board a homeward Swissair flight with a stockpile of more than 20 rifles and handguns in their baggage.

Accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe, they were jailed for eight months. They said the arms were for self-defense during three years of work among converts in war-torn Congo.

Zimbabwe faces its worst political and economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980. The government's often-violent seizure of thousands of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks has plunged the country into turmoil.

_____________________________________

From the local media:

The State Department official here said the mystery aircraft was not US-registered and had not been carrying any US nationals. "It is not a US government or a US commercial aircraft as far as we know. I understand that at one point back in the 1970's someone may have owned it in the US but it hasn't been a US aircraft since the early 80's," the official explained. "I have no idea who owns it.


http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=8811

[PaperTiger]

N4610 was indeed a C-22B, operated by the 201st Airlift Sqdn of the DC Air National Guard at Andrews AFB. It was a well-travelled airplane although some (most ?) of its missions were um... undisclosed.
Even been to the UK: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/251562/M/

I believe all the C-22Bs are out of the ANG inventory now, but here's some blurb about them while they were in service.
http://www.aog-usafa.org/Fact_Sheets/C_22B.htm

In addition to its time with National Airlines, this aircraft was the one time Clipper Challenger of PanAm. Sic transit blah blah...

N4620 is/was a totally different aircraft and never with either the US military or Dodson as far as I can tell, last seen with Avensa.

[AAL_Silverbird]

What is a US Air Force aircraft doing carring a "N" registration which is for civilian aircraft registered in the United States. This is the first US Military aircraft I've seen that has a “N” registration number. Hummmmmm

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

It hasn't been in the US military since 2002. The USAF / ANG disposed of their C-22Bs / 727-100s in 2001 and 2002. This is the official story anyway, but who knows...? The ship in question (s/n 18811, if that's indeed the one, 727-035, N4610, ex National Airlines, later 83-4610 with the ANG) was disposed of to an outfit called Dodson Aviation in January 2002, who may have re-registered it as N4620, or may have scrapped it, depending on who you believe. Then again, maybe none of these stories is correct,

[reynoldsno1]

Well, we won't talk about Southern Air Transport then....

[Buster Hyman]

Apparently, they made the mistake of disguising the 727 as a farm.....:ouch:

[Sonic Zepplin]

Quite often the US military subcontracts various tasks, to outside vendors.

This one just got caught.

Oops, Dark Ops Goes Bad

[Airbubba]

>>Well, we won't talk about Southern Air Transport then....<<

I knew there was something different about that outfit when I walked across 36th Street in MIA years ago to drop off a resume. All the doors had cipherlocks and the roof had a better antenna farm than the Russian Embassy.

Commerical pax carriers have been used on occasion to move "operators" internationally. Pan Am was known to fly mysterious night charters south of the border in MIA and have extra antennas on the planes that flew in the IGS out of Berlin.

BA lost a 747, G-AWND, destroyed on the ground in Kuwait in 1990. Supposedly the plane made a questionable "tech stop" in the early hours of the Iraqi invasion. The crew and pax were captured and some were held and mistreated. Others were smuggled out by the Kuwaiti underground. Years later news reports claimed that a Special Air Service team was onboard to secure an evacuation route for UK embassy staff. If true, in this case they did not "beat the clock" and misjudged the Iraqi advance on the airport.

[Woff1965]

What sort of range would a 727-100 have anyway?

How far could it fly if refueled in Harare. And how much tarmac would you need to land and take off again. Although given the lack of weapons etc maybe they had finished whatever they were up to and were going home again.

[Phil Squares]

For anyone who is interested.... www.dodson.com

[Ignition Override]

Southern Air Transport went Chap 11 years ago and ceased operations. It is mentioned a few times in the book "Air America" (Christopher Robbins, Avon Books: 1979; Library of Congress: 78-9861. ISBN: 0-380-89909-4). Look up "the Double-Check Corporation", CARAMAR (por que, cuando?) and "the "Delaware Corporation"...Continental Air Services, Bird Air, Civil Air Transport, Air Asia, Evergreen, Intermountain at Marana, AZ. UNIVAC-Sperry Rand Corp., Arizona Helicopters.

Project Eagle was supposedly in Africa-any connection with the Constellations flown from Portugal? :ouch:

[ramsrc]

understand that at one point back in the 1970's someone may have owned it in the US but it hasn't been a US aircraft since the early 80's," the official explained. "I have no idea who owns it.

Well, it appears from the photo links above that someone in the US owned it at least as late as 2001. Either that, or this is a completely different aircraft.

[planecrazi]

A South African company bought the aircraft (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=NW_1-T&oldflok=FF-APO-1105&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20040308%2F1806291673.htm&sc=1105)

According to this article just found, Dodson Aviation claims to have recently sold the aircraft to a "reputable South African company"

Who knows? I cant find anything on Logo Ltd...

[Phil Squares]

Ah yes, the plot thickens. Here is some info from the FAA's registration search.

N-number Database Search Result
Last Database Update: Tue Feb 10 15:24:57 2004
To print registration information, check the checkbox for each registration to be printed and click on "Retrieve Selected Entries" at the bottom of the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check for printing
N-number : N4610
Aircraft Serial Number : 18811
Aircraft Manufacturer : BOEING
Model : 727-35
Aircraft Year :
Owner Name : DODSON AVIATION INC
Owner Address : 2110 MONTANA RD
OTTAWA, KS, 66067-8518
Type of Owner : Corporation
Registration Date : 22-May-2002
Airworthiness Certificate Type : Not Specified

____________________________________________________



:cool:

[Airbubba]

Looks like they may have traced that bag of crisps back to the source...

__________________________________________


Zim plane mystery continues

March 09 2004 at 08:57AM

The impounding of an aircraft, allegedly carrying weapons and mercenaries, by Zimbabwean authorities in Harare was still shrouded in mystery on Tuesday.

South African High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Jerry Ndou is to meet Zimbabwean officials on Tuesday regarding the incident, and allegations that among the 64 men on board are South Africans, foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Tuesday morning.

South Africa's Foreign Military Assistance Act prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without authorisation from National Conventional Arms Control Committee.

The Beeld reported on Tuesday that intelligence sources said the plane could have been on its way to West Africa, perhaps headed for a threatening coup in Equatorial Guinea. Its capital, Malabo, is on an island offshore Cameroon's coast. Oil was recently discovered in its waters.

Its owners made a false declaration of its cargo and crew
The newspaper also indicated that the elderly cargo plane originated in South Africa and may have been forced to land in Harare because of a technical problem.

The plane's origins continued to perplex.

SABC radio reported it was registered to a South African company, Zimbabwe claimed it was registered in America. This was denied by the United States state department, but a South African aviation expert said the aircraft's registration number, N4610, was definitely American...

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=84&art_id=qw107881542118B261&set_id=1

[planecrazi]

I wonder what the mandatory aircraft documents state about the ownership? Surely these documents must be up to date before the aircraft was allowed to get airborne, especially if it is to fly for in foreign territory. Also, if the aircraft departed South Africa, what did the gen dec state and howcome the aircraft didn't have it's documents confirmed by SA authorities. It sounds like a bit of a mess to be polite.

[Top of Descent]

Just a question, anything to do with the 72 that went missing in Angola last year.............I wonder??

[lomapaseo]

I wonder what the mandatory aircraft documents state about the ownership? Surely these documents must be up to date before the aircraft was allowed to get airborne, especially if it is to fly for in foreign territory. Also, if the aircraft departed South Africa, what did the gen dec state and howcome the aircraft didn't have it's documents confirmed by SA authorities. It sounds like a bit of a mess to be polite

To All

help me to understand this better. Whats the big deal about the registration number on the aircraft?

Isn't the issue who was flying it and who was aboard?

Like if it was leased for a month could it still have a US registration number and yet be operated by mercanaries in South Africa?

[747FOCAL]

Top of Descent,

No this is not the missing 727 from Angola.

You guys seem to be forgetting that anybody can paint any registration number on the side of an aircraft they want. Drug runners do it all the time. If I was going to do that I would want the impression that my aircraft was American registered and flying under the protection of the American flag. Especially in an area like this.

[planecrazi]

Iomapaseo,
Nobody seems to know whom the owner is at this time, which would definitely help in knowing what was going on. This would be on its document under certificate of registration/owner. Dodson claim they sold it and no one can find Logo Ltd.

Everyone at this stage knows who was on board, but one does expect authorities to follow up on foreign aircraft in its territory. The Zimbo's did, why didn't the SA Police/Customs/ATC etc... Over flight clearance into and out of SA, airway fees-how do you get airborne from Wonderboom on an international flight plan to Harare if the minister says it is not an international airport. So many questions...

So I would think it would start with, who are the owners and who does the aircraft belong to and what were these guys doing.

It took the Zimbabwean authorities to catch this. Its amazing it got this far. How many other times did people get away with this from SA?

[Airbubba]

Seized plane on civil mission, says operator

March 09 2004 at 04:33PM

Reuters

Johannesburg - A plane seized in Zimbabwe carrying 64 people the Harare government said were "suspected mercenaries" was bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo for mine security work, its operator said on Tuesday.

"They were going to the eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," said Charles Burrow, a senior executive of Logo Logistics Ltd which chartered the plane.

He told reporters by telephone from London that most of the people on board had military experience.


http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=qw1078842785299B251&set_id=1

[Airbubba]

Wonder if the Simon Mann mentioned below is the same Eton graduate who was involved with "Executive Outcomes", a quasi legitimate succesor to an old special forces cover company?

Executive Outcomes is (are) defunct but they were known to operate C-47's and 727's in African "security" operations. Maybe just a coincidence...

Simon Mann has a film credit in 'Bloody Sunday' (2002): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1115931/
_______________________________________________

Seized Plane: Probe Continues

The Herald (Harare)

March 10, 2004
Posted to the web March 9, 2004

Harare

GOVERNMENT yesterday revealed the nationalities of the 64 suspected mercenaries who were detained at the Harare International Airport on Sunday night after the owners of their plane had made false declaration of the cargo and crew.

They are 20 South Africans, 18 Namibians, 23 Angolans, two Congolese (DRC) and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.

The Minister of Home Affairs Cde Kembo Mohadi said Zimbabwean security authorities became suspicious after the pilot had only kept the cockpit lights on with the rest of the plane in darkness.

"This was deliberate and it was clearly intended to hide the presence of the additional 64 passengers. On the discovery of the undeclared passengers, the plane was immediately grounded and the crew and passengers arrested," he said.

Cde Mohadi said the captain of the plane had advised the Harare tower that the plane was empty except for the crew of three and four loaders.

An advance team met the plane at the Harare International Airport and it consisted of one Simon Mann and two other men who had entered the country on March 5 this year.

The minister said initial investigations revealed that the plane was a former US Airforce aircraft which was sold to Dodson Aviation of the United States, a company he said had links to the US government.

"The plane recently flew to South Africa with an American crew which then swapped with a South African crew in Pretoria. It was at Wonderboom Airport that the mercenaries embarked and loaded their cargo," he said.

The plane is believed to have stopped at Petersburg airport before proceeding to Harare.

Cde Mohadi said Mann had initially visited the country in February this year together with one Nicholas du Toit.

The two referred to themselves as international technical consultants based in the British Virgin Islands.

"Simon Mann claimed to run a company called Logo Logistics while du Toit ran a company called Military Technical Services Incorporated. Both operated from the same address," he said.

The two made inquiries about the purchase of arms and ammunition and indicated they worked with a country in the Great Lakes to train Katangese rebels.

They later changed their story and claimed that they wanted weapons to protect a mining property in the DRC.

"Questions were raised as to why the two South Africans would want to buy weapons from Zimbabwe if the end use was legal. South Africa is a much bigger arms manufacturer," he said.

Cde Mohadi said a sinister motive was suspected and measures to monitor their plans until the arrest were instituted.

He said only the white component of the group seemed knowledgeable of the final destination and the purpose of the expedition.

It is believed a briefing on the mission was to be given to the rest of the members once the plane was airborne.

Cde Mohadi said investigations had also revealed that Mann was a former member of the British Special Airforce Service (SAS).

He said when the other members were arrested, du Toit was not there and had started arranging for the legal representation of the accused.

He said a Simon Witherspoon, a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries in Africa, including Cote d*Ivoire, appeared to be the spokesman of the group.

He left the South African Defence Forces in 1989 to join the mercenary company, Executive Outcomes.

The minister said preliminary investigations indicated that Harare was not the final destination of the group as Bujumbura in Burundi and Mbuji Mayi in the DRC had been mentioned as the other destinations.

"Further investigations are underway and more information will be released to the public as it becomes available," Cde Mohadi said.

Government was working closely with other Sadc members on the issue.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the flight plan of the impounded plane had a lot of inconsistencies and was very misleading and at times conflicting.

He said the owners of the plane said the plane had only three crew members and four loaders and carried cargo.

"This is the reason why we parked it in the cargo section. They did not tell us they had people inside," he said.

Mr Kaseke said the crew asked for a technical stopover for refuelling but it later emerged they had other plans.

He said the crew indicated they were flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Checks with flying records had also shown that the plane was flying very low which is a security risk, Mr Kaseke said.

South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Aziz Pahad said in a statement his ministry would remain in close contact with its ambassador in Zimbabwe Mr Jeremiah Ndou to seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military Conventional Arms Control Committee," he said.

Zimbabwe security authorities detained the United States-registered plane on Sunday night after its owners had made false declaration of its cargo and crew.

The capture of 64 suspected mercenaries in Harare on Sunday took a new dimension yesterday in South Africa, the United States, Britain, Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.

This comes amid contradictory reports over the suspects* mission with Reuters news agency reporting that Equatorial Guinea had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group while the South African Press Association claimed that the suspected mercenaries were mining contractors travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SAPA news agency reported that a British company, Logo Logistics Ltd, was operating the impounded plane.

The South African news agency said the company sent it a statement in which it said: "We can make it clear that we have no current or intended business in Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against its government and people."

Logo told SAPA that what Zimbabwean authorities described as "military" items on board was in fact working equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting tools.

Logo said the aircraft, seized at Harare International Airport on Sunday, was recently purchased and still registered in the United States.

"There is no other link with the US," the company said.

However, authorities in Equatorial Guinea, a country in West Africa, said they had arrested a 15-strong "advance party" from the same group.

"Some 15 mercenaries have been arrested here in Equatorial Guinea and it was connected with that plane in Zimbabwe. They were the advance party of that group," Equatorial Guinea Information Minister Agustin Nse Nfumu told Reuters.

According to Reuters, the arrests come amid speculation among exiled opposition politicians in Equatorial Guinea that a coup was in the offing.

Charles Burrows, a senior executive of Logo Logistics, said most of the people on board were South African and had military experience, but were on contract to four mining companies in Congo.

"They were going to eastern DRC. They stopped in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, Zimbabwe being a vastly cheaper place for such," he said.

Burrows, whose company is registered in Britain*s Channel Islands, denied any connection between the group detained in Harare and those arrested in Equatorial Guinea.

"I haven*t the foggiest idea of what they*re talking about," he said by telephone from London.

South African air traffic control said the plane had left Johannesburg on Sunday and made a stop at Wonderboom airport near Pretoria. From there it flew to the northern South African town of Polokwane, where it took on some 63 passengers and completed departure formalities.

Craig Partridge, a spokesman for South Africa*s Air Traffic and Navigation Services, said the plane had filed full flight plans showing it would travel to Harare and from there to Bujumbura in Burundi on Congo*s eastern border.

In Washington, the State Department said it had no indication that the plane was connected to the US government.

US Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane registered to Dodson Aviation Inc. based in Ottawa, Kansas. Dodson said it had sold the plane about a week ago to an African firm called Logo Ltd.

The white plane with a blue stripe across its body contained an assortment of military hardware that included a rubber boat (dingy), sleeping bags, loud hailers, hammers, sophisticated radio communication equipment, water proof boots and bolt cutters.

According to media reports from South Africa the plane was sold to a South African firm last week.

Jim Pippin the acting general manager for Dodson International, a subsidiary of Dodson Aviation Inc, which is headquartered in Ottawa, Kansas, said the Boeing 727-100 was sold to Logo Logistics.

"The plane was sold by Dodson out of the United States. The company took delivery of the plane over the weekend after it most likely flew out from Florida," Pippin told AFP from Wonderboom airport, just north of Pretoria.

Asked why an internet search showed the plane was still with a US registration in the name of Dodson, Pippin said: "They have not yet had time to do a re-registration."

AFP reports said the owner of a flying school at Wonderboom airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Boeing 727-100 landed there about 8.00am on Sunday.

"They asked me to move some of my aircraft because the jetstream from such a large aircraft could have damaged them," he said.

Peet van Rensburg, a spokesman for Wonderboom airport, confirmed that the plane was at the airport on Sunday, but also said he believed it proceeded to Polokwane.

Moses Seate spokesman for the South African Civil Aviation Authorities said the organisation would release a statement as soon as investigations are complete.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200403090928.html

[747FOCAL]

Zimbabwe: Seized Plane Adds to Coup Jitters
New York Times 03/10/04
author: Sharon LaFraniere
c. 2004 New York Times Company

Amid conflicting accounts of the mission and destination of an aging plane seized in Zimbabwe on Sunday, at least three governments have begun investigations: Zimbabwe, which impounded the plane on suspicion that it carried mercenaries; Equatorial Guinea, where coup rumors have the government on edge; and South Africa, where the flight apparently originated. Officials from the United States, where the plane was registered, said they were also following the saga closely. The authorities in Equatorial Guinea claimed that the plane was part of coup attempt it has now thwarted by arresting 15 people they said were linked to a group of 64 detained in Zimbabwe. "They were the advance party of that group," the information minister told Reuters. But the operator of the Boeing 727, Logo Logistics Ltd., said it was on an innocent mission to deliver security workers to mining companies in Congo and had stopped in Zimbabwe only to buy mining equipment. Charles Burrows, a senior executive, denied there was any connection to a coup. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what they're talking about," he said.

[747FOCAL]

Zimbabwe: Mercenaries Could Face Death
Associated Press Newswires 03/10/04
author: Angus Shaw
Copyright 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

HARARE, Zimbabwe - The 64 suspected mercenaries who were aboard a cargo jet seized at the country's main airport could face the death penalty, Zimbabwe's foreign minister said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge did not say what charges would be brought against them or when they might appear in court.

"They are going to face the severest punishment on our statutes, including capital punishment," Mudenge said after a routine briefing for diplomats in the capital, Harare.

The crew of the aging Boeing 727, which was impounded late Sunday at Harare's international airport, claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.

Zimbabwe authorities alleged the 64 were hired by a South African mercenary organization and British special forces, state television reported.

The television said Tuesday that investigations in Zimbabwe found the plane was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid-era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.

The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi as saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved. He did not elaborate.

Britain's Foreign Office said it was aware of the allegation.

"The British government in Harare is following the developments closely. They attended a briefing by the Zimbabwean foreign minister this morning," said a spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity.

When asked specifically about the SAS claim, she said she had no further details.

State TV said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean with a South African passport.

Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was trying to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorization of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late Monday.

The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.

Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.

The plane and its passengers were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.

The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc. of Ottawa, Kan. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.

[Capt.KAOS]

British SAS 'hired' Zim Boeing
10/03/2004 09:12 - (SA)

Harare, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean authorities alleged on Tuesday that a cargo plane impounded in Harare on suspicion of carrying 64 mercenaries was hired by a South African mercenary organisation and British special forces, state television reported.

The television said investigations in Zimbabwe showed the plane, impounded late on Sunday at the main Harare international airport, was linked to a South African firm known as "Executive Outcomes" that in the past hired mostly former apartheid era South African soldiers for mercenary and security work across Africa.

The television quoted Zimbabwe Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi saying British SAS, or Special Air Service, forces were believed also to have been involved.

No comment was immediately available from Britain or South Africa on those charges.

State television said the plane was carrying 20 South African nationals and groups of Angolans, Congolese, Namibians and one Zimbabwean carrying a South African passport.

Mineral mining/B>

The crew of the ageing Boeing 727 claimed the plane was headed for the central African nations of the Congo and Burundi and was carrying mineral mining personnel.

Earlier, South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jerry Ndou, was attempting to verify the status of those on board the plane, the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

"Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act, which expressly prohibits the involvement of South Africans in military activities outside South Africa without the due authorisation of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee," Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement released late on Monday.

Oil discovered

The small west African state of Equatorial Guinea, where rich oil deposits were recently discovered, has said it is investigating reports foreign mercenaries were being recruited earlier this year to overthrow the government.

Zimbabwe state television on Monday broadcast footage of a white plane with a blue stripe containing satellite telephones, radios, backpacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, an inflatable raft, bolt cutters and what appeared to be a can of Mace. No weapons were shown.

The plane and its passengers, most of them whites, were taken to a nearby military airfield, the station said.

The plane's registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation Inc of Ottawa, Kansas, in the United States. However, company director Robert Dodson said it had sold the aircraft about a week ago.

Zimbabwe state television reported on Tuesday investigators in Harare said the plane was a former US air force aircraft that had been bought by Dodson, whose company, the television claimed, had close ties with the US government.

link (http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,6119,2-11-1447_1496015,00.html)

[Airbubba]

Some more names in these reports:

SA pilot on 'mercenary' plane
10/03/2004 11:44 - (SA)

Erika Gibson

Pretoria - Niel Steyl, the pilot of the Boeing 727-100 that was impounded in Zimbabwe, used to be a commercial pilot in Bethlehem, Free State.

Another pilot on board was Hendrik Hamman, a farmer from Namibia.

Both apparently flew similar Boeings for the now-defunct Executive Outcomes company that provided military assistance in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the civil wars in those countries.

Steyl apparently hit the headlines two years ago when he was one of the two captains of a Boeing 727 that took the enigmatic and controversial King Leka I, self-proclaimed ruler of Albania, back to his homeland after years in exile in South Africa.

The crew and the 64 others on board the controversial flight were arrested in Harare on Sunday evening.

Sources indicate that they could be held under Zimbabwe' Public Order and Security Act for at least seven days while the Zimbabwean authorities question them under orders from the South African government.

They might then be extradited to South Africa.

Six people - J L Padilla, W L Stanton, M O Bainton, K D Savage, M P Sistok and a McQuade apparently flew the plane from Sao Tome to Lanseria Airport at the weekend.

A Mr Pienaar paid for fuel by credit card before the plane left for Wonderboom Airport from where it travelled to Harare via Polokwane.

It is unclear where the crew who were arrested in Harare took over the plane.

The 64 others on the plane had stayed in a prominent hotel in Pretoria for the past week or so. They apparently underwent marksmanship training near Johannesburg during this time.

Eighty percent of them are apparently from former specialist forces and some are of Angolan descent...

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1495804,00.html

____________________________________________


Mom not worried about pilot son
10/03/2004 22:40 - (SA)

Nols Nieman

Bloemfontein - "My son was only the pilot and not part of the 'plot'," said Rina Steyl from Heliconhoogte in Bloemfontein.

Her son, Niel, is being held in Zimbabwe after the Boeing 727 that he was piloting, was seized in Zimbabwe.

She said she was not worried about him because he "just did an innocent thing".

When asked if he had taken part in the planning, she said she didn't think he knew how to plan. He only flew the plane - and probably because he was such a wellknown and good pilot.

He was in South Africa on holiday when he was approached to fly the aircraft. Steyl did not know by whom he was approached as she had no information on the flight.

"No one wants to tell me, but it's certainly for good money," she said with a laugh.

She did not know he went ahead with the flight because she could not keep up with her sons' movements. Three of her four sons are Boeing pilots. She thinks her husband, Johan, might know more details.

Flies for flamboyant Indian tycoon

Niel and another son once worked as pilots for the infamous Executive Outcomes company, but she didn't think he was flying for them this time. Surely, they no longer exist, she asked.

Niel, whom they call Jaap-Niel, matriculated from Harrismith High School, were his father was principal.

His former wife, Petro, and their two daughters still live in Harrismith.

He is now the captain of the Boeing for flamboyant Indian tycoon Dr Vijay Mallya and is stationed in Bangalore.

Mallya is in San Francisco and expects Niel on Sunday.

Niel was on his way to his parents in Bloemfontein when he was asked to fly the plane. But, he first spent time in his Kosmos house in Gauteng.

The phone in the Steyl's house rings continuously - the calls are from friends from around the country who read about Niel's arrest. Everyone is surprised as they all assumed he was in India.

'No weapons on the plane'

"Aunty, I see Jaap-Niel is in trouble," says the umpteenth concerned former classmate on the phone.

Each time, Steyl explains her son was here on holiday and that they are sure he will be held only for seven days, as the newspapers report. This is because there were no weapons on the plane.

"I am not worried - I know my four sons too well," she says.

But, she is worried about the Zimbabweans. Her husband wonders if President Robert Mugabe isn't using "this thing for political gain" to say it proves America has something against him.

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,6119,2-7-1442_1496360,00.html

[Hay Ewe]

Any one remember the novel "Dogs of War" Pretty good read. The story of this airplane seems to be following a similar line.

I also read in the UK Daily Telegraph that the plan was to overthow the government of this place and so another governing bloke could be installed who is currently in exile in Spain. Apparntly there were some Spanish mercenary type blokes on the ground.

Another question, why did this airplane stop in Harare? it msut have been a quite major problem to force it to land in a hostile country.

Are there any pics of this aircraft or is a media hype by the Mugabe government to make the plot thicker??

Look forward to following this thread...

Hay Ewe

[Capt.KAOS]

Plane Did Stop At Grantley Adams -
Thursday 11, March-2004

A UNITED STATES registered plane at the centre of controversy after being detained on Monday with 64 suspected mercenaries aboard by the Zimbabwean government did stop at Grantley Adams International Airport last Saturday morning.
Informed sources told the DAILY NATION yesterday that the aircraft, a Boeing 727 (100 series), with registration number N4610, landed in Barbados shortly after midnight for refuelling before leaving around 6:30 a.m.

Sources also indicated that the aircraft, which Zimbabwean officials alleged also carried military equipment, had arrived from the Hope Air Force Base in North Carolina, United States, before its stop-over in Barbados.

Further reports stated that the plane, originally a commercial PanAm Airways aircraft up until a week ago, was being operated by the American Air Force, but international Press reports stated it had been sold to a South African company.

The plane was detained by Zimbabwean security officials after its owners made a false declaration of its cargo and crew at Harare’s main airport.

link (http://www.nationnews.com/StoryView.cfm?Record=48033&Section=Local&Current=2004%2D03%2D11%2000%3A00%3A00)

[AfricanSkies]

"Six people - J L Padilla, W L Stanton, M O Bainton, K D Savage, M P Sistok and a McQuade apparently flew the plane from Sao Tome to Lanseria Airport at the weekend. "


Aha. The mysterious Mr Joseph Padilla of stolen 727 from Luanda fame pops up once again..:E

[Airbubba]

>>Aha. The mysterious Mr Joseph Padilla of stolen 727 from Luanda fame pops up once again..<<

Maybe, but the initials are wrong and Joe was supposed to be the brother of the missing Ben Charles Padilla, Jr.

Here are two of the "missing brother" e-mails from last year:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~hick0088/cgi-bin/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=464

Joseph B. Padilla is indeed in the Pensacola phone book at the number listed in one of the e-mails.

A picture of Simon Mann in his feature film debut is posted with this review:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/cinema/Content?oid=oid:46188

The review ends with this gushing praise of the film: "...It's approach to narrative is so unlike most of what you see in the cinema, and its story is so forceful, it almost makes you want to forgive the Irish for Sinead O'Connor. Almost."

[Airbubba]

>>Civilian plane reportedly departs Hope Air Force Base via Barbados for Africa. One in crew is reported to be J Padilla, though I don't know what bearing that might have. As far as I can tell, this isn't a dual use base.<<

Uh, there isn't Hope AFB in North Carolina or anywhere else.

Was it Pope AFB in Fayetteville, NC?

Here's what they do for a DOD media event:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2001/p11202001_p272-01.html

[B Sousa]

This thread is so good. Zimbabwe Intel wont have to do any work. you guys will give it all to them on a platter....

[seacue]

Airbubba,

Try a Google search. It appears that Pope AFB, Fayetteville NC, has become Hope AFB. At least in the mind of some people.

SC

[Airbubba]

Looks like there is no rush to claim any of these guys as British unlike with the Guantanamo "detainees":

_________________________________________________

...Consular staff at the British Embassy said they had yet to make contact with Mr Mann and the Foreign Office said it had no details of any court case or of a UK citizen being detained in Zimbabwe.

The FO would only interfere if Mr Mann, his family or the Zimbabweans declared he was British and in need of assistance.

A spokeswoman said she could not speculate on "what might happen to someone who may or may not be British" but that it was prepared to make representation on the use of the death penalty.

She said: "We have not received confirmation but we have reminded the Zimbabweans of their obligation to inform us of any Britons held."

Mr Mann's nationality remains unclear amid reports he has homes in South Africa and Hampshire, Britain...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3507504.stm

[PretoriaSillyperson]

I'm a British Citiizen with a Sith Irican wife. Therefore, I hold a Brit passport and have Permanent Residence in SA. For a Brit to live in SA, this is the only way. Technically, it IS possible to take SA Citizenship but only on pain of renouncing British citizenship - and I've never heard of or met anyone who has seriously considered doing that. (In fact, the reason Zimbos are having trouble returning to the UK after years in ZimBobWe is because they were effectively forced to renounce the UK ticket and take up Zim citizenship.) Ergo, SM will be a Brit and entitled to the "help" afforded to him by the Foreign Orifice. Make of this - and the behaviour of Our Man in Cape Town - what you will.

PSP
London

[Boy_From_Brazil]

I agree with B Sousa. Let us stop giving Mugabes evil regime any more ammunition.

Suggest this thread is closed

BFB

[747FOCAL]

Boy_From_Brazil,

Like there is lots of Zimbabweans around here. If we are to be that paranoid than after September 11 this whole site should have been shut down so Uncle Usama and crew can't glean any information from us dimwits. What you think Danny would have to say about that? :hmm:

[seacue]

To Mssrs Soussa and BfB,

Other than how the plane appeared in Africa, isn't essentially everything posted in this thread taken from African papers / radio / TV or from the BBC? Hardly sources likely to escape the notice of the Zim authorities or their supporters. Some of the most detailed stories were filed from Harare itself.

Maybe I'm naive, but I really doubt that the Zim authorities would need already-public information reported on PPRuNe to take whatever just or unjust action they wish.

[Boy_From_Brazil]

747 FOCAL / seacue

I guess you might feel a bit differently if you were on that aircraft.

BFB

[747FOCAL]

Boy_From_Brazil,

You cheaky monkey. :rolleyes:

I don't know how I would ever have to worry about that as I am not a mercenary. Certainly would not go to lots of Africa these days, though I have been to some African countries. Still have to agree with some of the other posts that everything we are talking about is public published information. I also still believe that the Zimbabwean intel guys would never find their way here anyway.

:hmm: :=

[answer=42]

Ahem.
There is a relevant article (http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2521073) in this week's The Economist that contains a number of interesting facts. For example: 'Equatorial Guinea's information minister said the plot was orchestrated by a firm called Triple Options. Documents obtained by The Economist suggest that this was a joint venture, formed for ordinary business purposes, between Mr du Toit and Armengol Ondo Nguema, the president's brother and secret service chief ...

The article is also of interest for what it does not say...

[dizzytinperson]

I wonder who J L Padilla W L Stanton M O Bainton K D Savage M P Sistok and MqQuade work for....

[flyhardmo]

'Maybe I'm naive, but I really doubt that the Zim authorities would need already-public information reported on PPRuNe to take whatever just or unjust action they wish'

The Zimbabwian unintelligance agency has stumbled upon undenialbe evidence from PPRUNE (Professional mercinaries rumors network), the extra p is a cover up but we found out beecuz we r speshel. Based upon this evidence we unanomously agree to execute these colonialist, imperialist demons and we will parade their bodies as a lesson to anyone else who is trying to overthrow a legitimate government of africa, elected by the people for my own personal gain.


For the people outside of africa who dont fully understand this post, go to africa experience a beautiful day in paradise :}

[Flap operator]

Presumably you are refering to the unanswered question as to who was paying ? .... hmmm .. well who would fund a speculative mercenary raid on a small despotic african state with shedloads of oil ? A government with very close friends in the oil industry perhaps ? ... well who could that be ?

[answer=42]

Flap operator

On a subject as delicate as this, we have to try and avoid both uninformed speculation and repeating information that could turn out to be disinformation. Remember that there are people working in Africa in the petroleum industry who could be affected by what we write.

Having said that, there is considerable relevant information in this thread that comes from what appear to me to be fairly reliable sources, notably concerning the provenance of the aircraft in question, that did not make it to 'The Economist' article. To edit is to choose. The omissions of the magazine article appear to be related to the possible connections that you are inferring.

Moreover, the consistent selection of operatives that do not have European passports shows political sensitivity on behalf of the operation's sponsors.

[Airbubba]

More secret stuff from a public newspaper:

Dogs of war walk into carefully set trap

By Gavin du Venage

27mar04

ACCUSED mercenaries facing life in prison on charges of trying to topple the President of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea may have been lured into a trap carefully set to bring the dogs of war to heel.

Within the swirl of conspiracy theories that surround the arrest in Zimbabwe of British mercenary Simon Mann and the 69 men under his command, as well as ex-apartheid era South African special forces soldier Nick du Toit caught with 14 others in Equatorial Guinea, a picture is emerging of a complex plan to bring down the mercenary groups who have plagued Africa for years.

"There's been a lot of steam building up against mercenaries for quite some time," says Theo Neethling of the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University.

Professor Neethling believes the arrests are meant to signal that soldiers of fortune will no longer be able to operate on the continent.

The South African Government was reportedly aware of the group's plans to stage a coup and allowed it to go ahead, confident they would be caught red-handed in a country that would show little mercy.

Mann and his band are accused of accepting a $US5million ($6.7 million) contract to overthrow the Government of Equatorial Guinea. They were arrested when their Boeing 727 landed at Harare international airport on March 7 and are being held in Chikurubi prison.

The men claim they were on their way to take security jobs at mining operations in eastern Congo. Du Toit, filmed by his captors giving a confession in which he laid out details of the planned coup, and his 14-member force are detained in Equatorial Guinea. One of his men has since died of cerebral malaria.

Latest reports suggest the men may also have been seeking exiled Liberian warlord Charles Taylor, who has a $US2 million bounty on his head. Taylor went into exile in Nigeria last year after a deal South African President Thabo Mbeki helped set up.

A significant number of the men offering themselves as guns for hire across Africa learned their skills in the apartheid war machine. The South African Government has banned its citizens from acting as mercenaries, but this has achieved little other than to force companies like Executive Outcomes, once the primary recruiter of ex-apartheid military personnel, to move its activities to Britain.

With the establishment in 2002 of the African Union, based in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, a pact was signed by most of the continent's governments to outlaw military coups and settle conflicts through diplomacy.

Mr Mbeki is particularly resentful of outside interference in African affairs, as his support for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has demonstrated.

South Africa has been waiting for a chance to put an end to mercenary operations once and for all. And when South African intelligence learned of the apparent plot against Equatorial Guinea, led by key figures in the mercenary trade, they seized their chance.

Several events point to a set-up. One is the hasty removal from Chikurubi prison of three former apartheid soldiers -- Phillip Conjwayo, Kevin Woods and Mike Smith -- who were captured in the late 1980s after placing a bomb outside a guerilla safe house in Zimbabwe.

At first it was believed they were to be released but it now seems possible they were moved in anticipation of the mercenaries' arrival, a month before the men were even arrested.

Local analysts have asked why the South African Government, which tipped off the Zimbabwean authorities, allowed the planeload of mercenaries to take off from a Pretoria airfield when its own legal system could have successfully prosecuted them.

The answer being proposed is that the men will be tied up for months by the creaking Zimbabwean legal machine and could ultimately face life behind bars. Mr Mugabe's own paranoia against foreign overthrow is also likely to play a role in their trial.

As the men's predicament becomes increasingly grim, their fate is likely to deter others from joining similar ventures in Africa. Even if they are eventually set free Mann, du Toit, and the rest are now public figures and unlikely to win any further business conducting covert actions in Africa.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9088637%255E2703,00.html

[answer=42]

The BBC reports (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3666099.stm) that:

Zimbabwe has changed its extradition policy, so that it can send 70 alleged mercenaries for trial in Equatorial Guinea, the government says.

The men are accused of plotting to stage a coup against the Equatorial Guinea government.

Meanwhile, a judge has ordered an inquiry into claims they were tortured.

Another 15 men are being held in Equatorial Guinea, linked to the same alleged plot.

Human rights groups say they believe at least one of the suspects held in custody in Equatorial Guinea has been tortured to death.

[steamchicken]

Zimbabwe to Equatorial Guinea - like hail after rain...

[answer=42]

latest from BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3706931.stm)

[Aircraft_Nut9]

Seven Year sentence handed down to Mann,

see this link

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0910/zimbabwe.html