Three South African nationals have been arrested in southern Zimbabwe after police found them with broadcasting equipment belonging to Britain's Sky News, state television reported Tuesday.

"A vehicle has been impounded and three South African nationals arrested at a roadblock in Mbalabala after a Sky News broadcasting kit was discovered," the report said.

Provincial police spokesperson Ronald Muderedzwa said the three and another suspect had been broadcasting illegally from a factory in the second city of Bulawayo.

"They were unable to account properly on how they came in possession of that equipment, but they said they had been sent by certain white South Africans who are in Bulawayo.

"The equipment suggests that these people were running studio as Sky News because all the gadgets they are labelled Sky News so our police officers are now investigating the matter."

The report said the trio had tried to bribe the police, adding that the equipment comprised satellite dishes, transmitters, laptops, telephone handsets, audio and video tapes.

Zimbabwe authorities barred most foreign news organisations from covering the joint presidential, parliamentary elections on 29 March and had warned they would deal severely with journalists who sneak into the country.

However, a number of news organisations such as BBC, CNN, Sky News have been filing reports on Zimbabwe using undercover journalists.

President Robert Mugabe's government passed a law on the eve of the last presidential election in 2002 which has been invoked to expel foreign correspondents and shut down at least four independent newspapers.