Plane seized in Zambia with metal bars, $5.7 mln cash not Egyptian: Source to MENA

CAIRO – 16 August 2023: A plane seized in Zambia for carrying large quantities of metal bars and $5.7 million in cash is not Egyptian, said a well-informed source to Egyptian official news agency MENA on Wednesday.

Zambian authorities announced seizing the private plane Bombardier Global Express T7-WW that carried “dangerous goods” on Tuesday and also detaining ten people, including six Egyptians.

Nason Banda, Director General of the Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), said the chartered plane flew from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, and landed on Monday at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka.

Besides the $5.7 million in cash, Banda announced seizing hundreds of suspected gold-plated bars weighing around 127 kg, five pistols and 126 bullets, citing information from various law enforcement agencies.

However, the source told MENA that the plane landed in Cairo International Airport as a transit flight and was inspected to make sure it fulfills all safety and security rules that are implemented at the highest levels at the Egyptian ports.

Not gold

Meanwhile, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe said on Tuesday said that the 602 suspected gold bars seized include other metals with gold coating, especially copper and zinc.

Kabuswe added that the bars also include tin, osmium and nickel.

“After a comprehensive analysis, it was discovered that the alleged gold bars contained copper in the range of 58 to 61 percent and zinc in the range of 38 to 41 percent, trace amounts of tin and nickel,” Kabuswe said.

Another plane

Moreover, Banda said the Zambian authorities also seized another plane belonging to a local airline without giving further details about any potential links between the two planes.

The source affirmed to MENA that the other alleged plane seized by Zambia has not entered the Egyptian airspace.

He added that high-level coordination is underway between the Egyptian and Zambian authorities to disclose the circumstances of the incident.