Mozambican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison After Being Caught Bringing a 60mm Military Mortar Bomb Into South Africa Through Lebombo Border A 26-year-old Mozambican national, Antonio Charles Mugabe, has been sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment after pleading guilty to importing a military-grade explosive device into South Africa through the Lebombo Port of Entry in Mpumalanga. The Hawks secured the conviction following an investigation into the incident, which raised serious public safety and national security concerns. Mugabe appeared before the Boschfontein Regional Court on Monday, 26 October 2026, where he pleaded guilty to three charges: possession of an explosive device, transportation of an explosive device and importation of an explosive device into South Africa. The charges relate to an incident on 23 August 2026 at the Lebombo Port of Entry in Komatipoort. During a joint border security operation, South African Police Service (SAPS) members and South African Revenue Service (SARS) officials were screening travellers entering South Africa from Mozambique. Officials scanning Mugabe’s luggage identified a suspicious object concealed inside his travel bag. A subsequent search uncovered a 60mm mortar bomb, prompting his immediate arrest at the port of entry. The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in Nelspruit investigated the case, which was transferred from the Komatipoort Magistrates’ Court to the Boschfontein Regional Court. Mpumalanga Hawks provincial head Major General Nico Gerber welcomed the sentence and praised the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies in intercepting the explosive device before it could reach South African communities.