Plane and Suspected Mercenaries Seized

Zimbabwe seized a U.S.-registered cargo plane that the government said was carrying suspected mercenaries and military gear. The U.S. State Department said there were no indications of a U.S. government connection to the plane, whose origin and destination remained a mystery.

The Boeing 727-100 was impounded Sunday at the airport in Harare, the capital, “after its owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and crew,” Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said. “The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities.”

Kansas-based Dodson Aviation, to which the plane is registered, said it had been sold a week ago to an African company.