Four people have appeared at two magistrate courts in Johannesburg for charges on terrorism related activities.
The South African Hawks spokesman, Hangwani Mulaudzi, in a statement, said that the four persons had been arrested over the weekend in two separate areas, after being on surveillance for more than a year.
The same three men and a lady had been disallowed from boarding a flight to Syria last year and had remained on a watch list.
“Four suspects were identified after they attempted to travel to Syria in 2015. They were refused a flight by an international airline after the airline was informed of their intentions,” he explained.
“They were arrested in a joint operation by the Hawks, the National Intervention Unit, bomb squad and other law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Among those arrested were a couple whose lawyer is arguing that the stun grenade and 21 bullets found in their home belonged to the Community Policing Forum.
The husband, said Attorney Yousha Tayob, had simply forgotten to return the property when he quit as a CPF member.
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said that the couple and two other people, aged 20 and 24, were arrested following protracted investigations by the Hawks and State Security of possible terror-related activities in the Joburg area.
