the MD 11 trijet cargo plane seized in Harare. Photo: Zimbabwe Herald

The Zimbabwean police sources said it had large amounts of South African rand currency on board.

Police Spokeswoman, Charity Charamba, said the crew members were arrested after a male body was discovered on the plane. They were unable to produce documents to account for its presence.

She said the body was taken for autopsy and government was still holding onto the plane for further investigations.

Home Affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo, insisted it was safe to wait for the case to go to court on Monday or Tuesday, as this would give a clearer picture.

He said the nationalities of the crew were not clear.

Meanwhile, Florian Steuer, Spokesman for the German airport, confirmed that the MD-11 trijet aircraft of Florida-based Western Global Airlines left Munich late Saturday en route to Durban, South Africa.

He said he could not confirm if a stopover was planned in Harare, where Zimbabwean authorities say the plane landed for refueling on Sunday.

Steuer said it was not clear what the plane was transporting.