Police says Libyans entered nation on examine visas to coach as safety guards, however could have obtained navy coaching.
South African police have detained 95 Libyan nationals for questioning on suspicion of receiving coaching at a secret navy camp.
Police stated on Friday that they’d carried out a morning raid on the alleged navy camp, positioned at a farm in White River in Mpumalanga province within the north of the nation.
“We aren’t arresting them now, however we’re taking them in for questioning and can examine any prison exercise,” stated police spokesman Donald Mdhluli.
“The positioning was stated to be a coaching camp for a safety firm, however it’s a navy base by the seems to be of issues,” he stated, including that the proprietor of the safety firm was a South African nationwide.
Police stated the operation to arrest the Libyans and shut down the camp started two days in the past. Tv footage from the scene confirmed a heavy police presence exterior the suspected camp, which included inexperienced military-style tents and sandbags.
Nationwide police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe stated in a publish on X that the Libyans stated they had been coming into the nation on examine visas to coach as safety guards, however police investigations instructed they’d obtained navy coaching.
It was not instantly clear whether or not the 95 people had been affiliated to any group.
Libya remains to be riven by battle and civil war greater than a decade after the 2011 NATO-backed overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
The nation is split between the United Nations-recognised authorities based mostly in Tripoli and a rival administration within the nation’s east.
Though relative calm has returned to the oil-rich nation prior to now 4 years, clashes periodically happen between armed teams.
“We take any risk to the safety and stability of our province and nation very critically,” stated Main Normal Zeph Mkhwanazi, provincial commissioner of the South African police in Mpumalanga.
The investigation was “nonetheless ongoing”, stated his workplace in a press release, underlining that there was “no fast risk to neighborhood security”.