Twin brothers (24) allegedly planned to blow up the US Embassy and Jewish institutions.
This information was revealed when they made a brief appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 11 July. The duo is facing charges relating to terrorism, together with two others who appeared in the Kagiso Magistrates’ Court, on firearms and explosives-related charges. The case was postponed to 19 July and they remain in custody.
Spokesperson for the Hawks, Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed that all four suspects were arrested on 9 July during anti-terror raids which took place in Newclare and Azaadville. The raid was a joint operation by the Hawks, National Intervention Unit, Bomb Squad and other law enforcement agencies.
According to Mulaudzi, the individuals are aged between 20 and 24 and they are suspected of participating in terrorism-related activities in Gauteng.
“The arrests follows protracted investigations by the Hawks and the State Security [responsible for civilian intelligence operations] of possible terror-related activities in the Johannesburg area. Four suspects were identified after they attempted to travel to Syria in 2015. They were, however, refused by an international airline to travel after they were informed of their intentions (sic),” explained Mulaudzi.
He added that during the arrests, members of the Hawks swooped on their locations, where several items were seized for analysis.
The National Head of the Hawks, Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza said South Africa cannot sit on its laurels when these kind of threats are likely. “It is clear that the arrest of the four is a very big step forward in the fight against terrorism. But we cannot say that the problem has been solved.
“These terrorist organisations are recruiting in our country and, as the law enforcement agencies, [we] will continue to work around the clock to prevent any form of recruitment on our soil. We will remain on high alert to make sure that we safeguard our citizenry and residents alike.
“We will defuse any attempts to form any terrorist groups in our country. Our people should also be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police.”
Add us on Whatsapp for the latest news by adding 079 4395 345 to your contact list and just send your name to us so we can save your number. Click here to find out more about our Whatsapp policy.
