Three men, who were allegedly heading to Russia to serve as mercenaries in the Russian Federation Military, were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday. A woman, believed to have played a role in facilitation, was also arrested.
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- Three men allegedly heading to Russia to serve as mercenaries were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.
- The Hawks say a woman, who was also arrested, is suspected of having facilitated the men’s recruitment.
- The arrests come amid a controversy over at least 18 South Africans who say they were misled into signing contracts forcing them to fight in Russia’s war.
Three men who were allegedly heading to Russia to fight as mercenaries for the Russian army were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.
Another person, a woman who is alleged to have recruited them, was also arrested.
News24 has learnt that one of those arrested is a prominent media personality.
They are expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the arrests followed a tip-off from OR Tambo SAPS about three men travelling to Russia via the United Arab Emirates.
READ | Conned into combat: Families say unwilling soldiers were lured to Russia in MK Party’s name
They were intercepted at the boarding gate, flagged as suspicious, and handed over to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State (CATS) unit.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that a South African female had allegedly been facilitating the travel and recruitment of these people into the Russian Federation Military,” said Mogale.
A search-and-seizure operation was conducted on a fifth individual suspected of being involved in the network, who had already left South Africa for Russia.
“When this suspect arrived at OR Tambo on 27 November, he was interviewed, and further evidence emerged, leading to the arrest of three more suspects on 28 November,” said Mogale.
Electronic devices and backpacks were seized for analysis.
Authorities say coordination with intelligence agencies and international partners is underway to determine the extent of the recruitment network, and to assess any additional national security risks.
The Hawks have declined to name anyone arrested until they appear in court on Monday.
The arrests come as News24 continues to report on at least 18 South African men who say they were misled into believing they were being sent for bodyguard training in Russia, only to find themselves deployed to the frontlines of the war in Ukraine.
A group of South African men are fighting on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war. A Botswana mother last heard from her 19-year-old son three months ago after he was allegedly taken from a group recruited for Russia under the guise of an educational opportunity.
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They claim they were lured and pressured into signing Russian-language contracts binding them to the war effort.
Many have accused Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla – daughter of former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma – of playing a key role in their recruitment.
Zuma-Sambudla resigned from Parliament on Friday, saying she wanted to focus on bringing the men home. Six of the recruits told News24 she helped convince them to sign the contracts.
Her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, has since laid a human trafficking complaint against her.
Zuma-Sambudla, in turn, has laid a fraud charge against a man identified as Blessing Khoza, who she blamed for the men’s plight.
The DA has also opened a case, and the Hawks are conducting an investigation.
Efforts to return the men have so far failed, despite Zuma previously writing to Russia’s defence minister asking that the recruits be moved to safety.
Earlier this week, News24 also interviewed family members of two young men from Botswana, aged 19 and 20, who were lured to Russia, along with the South Africans, with promises of an education.
ALSO READ | ‘No child’s play’: South Africans describe life 10km from Ukraine frontline
Their families last heard from them in August, when they were informed that the teenagers were being sent on a combat mission.
The mother of the 19-year-old Botswana teenager, who knew Zuma-Sambudla as “Auntie Dudu”, told News24 she was beside herself with worry.
A note she received on 14 November from a South African member of the group was the last word she had received about him.
In the note, the teen wrote: “We are being taken away. I guess I’ll see you on the other side.”
