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Local law enforcement sources were sceptical, yet cautious yesterday about a report alleging a Russian mafia plot to kidnap Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Sir Mark is currently on the Rock amid speculation that authorities in Equatorial Guinea will issue an international warrant for his arrest in connection with a failed coup in 2004. In a further twist to an already bizarre tale, a specialist US newsletter claimed the British secret intelligence agency MI6 had warned Sir Mark that a powerful Russian criminal organisation had offered to kidnap him and take him...

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has seized a U.S.-registered cargo plane with 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities and a cargo of "military material", Home Affairs (Interior) Minister Kembo Mohadi said on Monday. "A United States of America-registered Boeing 727-100 cargo plane was detained last night at about 19:30 hours at Harare International Airport after its owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and crew," Mohadi said in a statement.

Excerpt - Zimbabwe deports 'coup mastermind' to EGuinea: lawyer Simon Mann, the alleged British mastermind of a foiled coup in Equatorial Guinea, has been deported from Zimbabwe to face trial in Malabo, his lawyer said on Friday. Jonathan Samkange said Mann had been deported on Wednesday night, before an unsuccessful appeal against his extradition was heard by a court in Harare on Thursday. "They deported him at night, late Wednesday night. There are affidavits to that effect," the lawyer told AFP. ~ snip ~

THE FAILED coup attempt involving Sir Mark Thatcher was to have made Equatorial Guinea a private colony run for the benefit of the British plotters, leaked documents reveal. The papers, passed to The Sunday Times by South African intelligence sources, reveal that the plotters had created a trading company to control the oil-rich West African state. The Bight of Benin Company (BBC), named after the bay on the state’s coastline, was to have grabbed control of the country’s economy, its oil reserves, army and police. The company would have controlled the country as a private fiefdom, modelled on the...

Troubles deepened for Lady Thatcher's disgraced son last night when a self-confessed coup plotter surfaced to accuse him of direct involvement in the attempt to overthrow the regime in Equatorial Guinea. Crause Steyl, the mercenary pilot who was to have been the star witness against Mark Thatcher had his trial in South Africa gone ahead, told Channel 4 News that Sir Mark's role had been kept secret, because "his mother was the previous prime minister of England". Mr Steyl described meeting Sir Mark to select a helicopter on which a gun could be mounted. He also alleged that the Spanish...

Luanda - Equatorial Guinea will guarantee not to seek the death penalty if it decides to request the extradition of Margaret Thatcher's son in connection with a suspected coup plot, its state prosecutor said on Saturday. South Africa will not extradite to countries that could apply the death penalty, but Jose Olo Obono told Reuters by telephone from the capital Malabo that this would not be an obstacle. Mark Thatcher, 51-year-old son of the former British prime minister, was arrested in South Africa on August 25 on suspicion of helping to finance an alleged plot for which foreigners have...