Extortion is believed to be the motive behind a spate of bombings that rocked Durban earlier this year.
Police minister Bheki Cele revealed at a short media briefing held at the SAPS provincial headquarters in Durban on Friday that three men were in custody for the bombings‚ which largely targeted Woolworths stores‚ a Verulam mosque and the Vodacom Durban July.
More arrests were imminent‚ he added.
“I’m sure that every one of you recall the incidents of incendiary devices that were placed at various places including retail stores in and around Durban‚” he told the briefing.
Cele said the three men were arrested in connection with “the placing and detonating of these devices” as well as for other crimes following a “joint multi-disciplinary intensive investigation”.
According to Cele‚ the arrests were linked to the bomb threats and the discovery of incendiary devices in July and August.
Several incendiary devices - rudimentary in nature - were planted at Woolworth stores and food markets. Some were triggered and caused minor fires. A number of stores were temporarily closed following anonymous bomb threats.
“In a separate incident that was linked to some of the placing of devices‚ three men were attacked in May this year at a mosque in Verulam which left one person dead and two others critically injured‚” Cele said.