Three arrested in connection with KZN bomb threats

Police Minister Bheki Cele has revealed that three suspects have been arrested today in connection with the placing of incendiary devices placed at various places in KwaZulu-Natal, including retail stores in and around the Durban area.

The minister said the three suspects will appear in court early next week, adding that the identity of the suspects should not be made public until their court appearance.

Cele said the three suspects are also closely linked to the Verulam mosque attack that left one man dead and two other men injured.

“Today I can proudly say that following a joint multi-disciplinary, intensive investigation, three main targets have been arrested in connection with the placing and detonating of these devices as well as other crimes,” Cele said.

The minister said between March and August, several incidents of the placing and detonating of these devices in KZN was reported, adding that some of these incidents were linked to each other.

Cele said the three suspects were arrested in various areas in the province and more arrests were imminent.

“The arrested suspects are likely to face charges of murder, and contravention of the Explosives Act, among others,” the minister said.

Extortion, Cele said, was established by the multi-disciplinary team as the most likely motive behind the incidences, clarifying, however, that other motives could be ruled out at this point as investigations were ongoing.

Cele said these incidents instilled a great degree of fear in South Africans.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.