South African intelligence services and law enforcement will have to tread carefully in prosecuting four suspects arrested for alleged Islamic State activities — so as not to reveal the covert procedures used to catch them.
This is according to defence expert Helmoed Heitman.
“Terrorists aren’t stupid‚ they can learn from the court case and their lawyers can ask the right questions‚” he said.
“They need to be careful handling this‚ so as not to give away tricks of the trade‚” he advised.
Identical twins Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Tony-Lee Thulsie appeared in a packed Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for allegedly trying to aid the cause of the Islamic State‚ by conspiring with others to blow up targets inside South Africa‚ including a mission of the United States of America.
The brothers were arrested over the weekend together with brother and sister Ibrahim and Fatima Patel after Hawks officers‚ using informants and intelligence agents‚ infiltrated the group after learning of their plans to allegedly travel to Syria last year via Turkey.
The Patel siblings face charges involving the illegal possession of explosives and ammunition.
The raids occurred on the suspects’ homes in Newclare in Johannesburg‚ as well as Florida and Azzadville on the West Rand.
Twins arrested in anti-terrorism raid were aspiring actors
The four were‚ according to well-placed police sources‚ allegedly involved in recruitment of people allegedly wanting to join the Islamic State‚ also referred to as ISIS.
Heitman said that it is unusual for terror organisations like ISIS and Al Qaeda to want to launch attacks in South Africa.
The reason for this‚ he explained‚ is that South Africa is seen as an ideal place for operatives to hide‚ or to transit through.
He added that terror suspects found it easy to hide amongst a non-radicalised Muslim population that was not being monitored.
He believes this could be the work of Lone Wolves. “The problem with this lunatic fringe is that they look at South Africa and they see us as Americans in their eyes‚ with what we wear. Also they see American businesses.”
Zev Krengel of the Jewish Board of Deputies said that security around Jewish institutions was already heightened‚ as it had been raised in June.
“At the moment we just want to see how this unfolds‚” he said.
“But what this shows is that many in South Africa thought that South Africa was immune to these kinds of threats‚ but not anymore.”
The spokeswoman for the US embassy‚ Cynthia Harvey‚ said on Monday night that they weren’t commenting for the moment.
TWINS WANTED TO BECOME FAMOUS
Before seemingly becoming radicalised‚ the Thulsie brothers were aspiring actors and event organisers.
Casting and artist management agency Kingclip confirmed that the twin brothers had been on their books since 2013. An agency representative said they had been to a number of auditions but had not landed a part.
They also promoted a production and events company called Traffic Jam on Facebook.
A scan through Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee’s social media accounts paints different personalities to the 23-year-old men‚ who are currently in holding cells.
The party-loving twins‚ who referred to themselves as the “Boss Brothers”‚ shared photos of themselves hanging out with friends with an interest in fashion‚ cars and beautiful women.
Brandon-Lee‚ the more active brother on social media‚ also posted posters of nightclub gigs and was tagged in a getaway to Sun City by a female friend in October 2011.
Disturbingly‚ in light of their arrest‚ the photos include him posing with his head in a noose.
They appear to be family-orientated too.
“Just the fact that I‚ me‚ Brandon-Lee Thulsie put tear(z) in my mothrz eyes killed me. . .I gues im yet another step away from matric :). . congradz to those who passed‚ those who failed. . .we just have to work harder‚” Brandon-Lee shared in one of his posts.
The “Boss” twins last tweeted in November 2012.
The more recently active Facebook account of Yaqeen Ibn Hernani‚ however‚ which according to a neighbour belongs to Brandon-Lee‚ appears to be that of a devout Muslim.
On July 5 Hernani‚ posted: “If Allah is with you‚ who can be against you? Who dare be against you? If Allah is against you‚ who dare be with you?”
Hernani also posted an image depicting tramping on “man-made laws” and a photo of the Islamic State flag.
- TMG Digital and The Times
Don’t tip off Islamic radicals - Top Secret classification for terror trial mooted
South African intelligence services and law enforcement will have to tread carefully in prosecuting four suspects arrested for alleged Islamic State activities — so as not to reveal the covert procedures used to catch them.
This is according to defence expert Helmoed Heitman.
“Terrorists aren’t stupid‚ they can learn from the court case and their lawyers can ask the right questions‚” he said.
“They need to be careful handling this‚ so as not to give away tricks of the trade‚” he advised.
Identical twins Brandon-Lee Thulsie and Tony-Lee Thulsie appeared in a packed Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for allegedly trying to aid the cause of the Islamic State‚ by conspiring with others to blow up targets inside South Africa‚ including a mission of the United States of America.
The brothers were arrested over the weekend together with brother and sister Ibrahim and Fatima Patel after Hawks officers‚ using informants and intelligence agents‚ infiltrated the group after learning of their plans to allegedly travel to Syria last year via Turkey.
The Patel siblings face charges involving the illegal possession of explosives and ammunition.
The raids occurred on the suspects’ homes in Newclare in Johannesburg‚ as well as Florida and Azzadville on the West Rand.
Twins arrested in anti-terrorism raid were aspiring actors
The four were‚ according to well-placed police sources‚ allegedly involved in recruitment of people allegedly wanting to join the Islamic State‚ also referred to as ISIS.
Heitman said that it is unusual for terror organisations like ISIS and Al Qaeda to want to launch attacks in South Africa.
The reason for this‚ he explained‚ is that South Africa is seen as an ideal place for operatives to hide‚ or to transit through.
He added that terror suspects found it easy to hide amongst a non-radicalised Muslim population that was not being monitored.
He believes this could be the work of Lone Wolves. “The problem with this lunatic fringe is that they look at South Africa and they see us as Americans in their eyes‚ with what we wear. Also they see American businesses.”
Zev Krengel of the Jewish Board of Deputies said that security around Jewish institutions was already heightened‚ as it had been raised in June.
“At the moment we just want to see how this unfolds‚” he said.
“But what this shows is that many in South Africa thought that South Africa was immune to these kinds of threats‚ but not anymore.”
The spokeswoman for the US embassy‚ Cynthia Harvey‚ said on Monday night that they weren’t commenting for the moment.
TWINS WANTED TO BECOME FAMOUS
Before seemingly becoming radicalised‚ the Thulsie brothers were aspiring actors and event organisers.
Casting and artist management agency Kingclip confirmed that the twin brothers had been on their books since 2013. An agency representative said they had been to a number of auditions but had not landed a part.
They also promoted a production and events company called Traffic Jam on Facebook.
A scan through Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee’s social media accounts paints different personalities to the 23-year-old men‚ who are currently in holding cells.
The party-loving twins‚ who referred to themselves as the “Boss Brothers”‚ shared photos of themselves hanging out with friends with an interest in fashion‚ cars and beautiful women.
Brandon-Lee‚ the more active brother on social media‚ also posted posters of nightclub gigs and was tagged in a getaway to Sun City by a female friend in October 2011.
Disturbingly‚ in light of their arrest‚ the photos include him posing with his head in a noose.
They appear to be family-orientated too.
“Just the fact that I‚ me‚ Brandon-Lee Thulsie put tear(z) in my mothrz eyes killed me. . .I gues im yet another step away from matric :). . congradz to those who passed‚ those who failed. . .we just have to work harder‚” Brandon-Lee shared in one of his posts.
The “Boss” twins last tweeted in November 2012.
The more recently active Facebook account of Yaqeen Ibn Hernani‚ however‚ which according to a neighbour belongs to Brandon-Lee‚ appears to be that of a devout Muslim.
On July 5 Hernani‚ posted: “If Allah is with you‚ who can be against you? Who dare be against you? If Allah is against you‚ who dare be with you?”
Hernani also posted an image depicting tramping on “man-made laws” and a photo of the Islamic State flag.
- TMG Digital and The Times
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