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A bunch of men arrested on suspicion of receiving illegal military training have been arrested in South Africa.
The men have been taken into custody and are being questioned
Ninety-five Libyan nationals have been arrested on suspicion of receiving training at an “illegal” military camp in South Africa, police have said.
Officers raided the farm in White River – a small town in the northern province of Mpumalanga – on Friday.
They said they found military tents, licenced firearms and other military equipment.
Cannabis and cocaine were also found at the camp, the police said.
Officers conducted the raid after receiving intelligence on Wednesday.
According to national police spokesperson, the Libyans allegedly “misrepresented themselves” on their visa applications by saying they would be training as security guards.
The camp was initially registered as a training site for a private security company but it appears to have been converted, a second police spokesperson, was quoted as saying.
the owner of the security company was a South African national and that the police were investigating if he had permission to run the site as a military-style camp.
Along with immigration offences, the Libyans are suspected of other “serious crimes” as the local community has made multiple complaints of rape.
The same statement assured the public that there was “no immediate threat to community safety”.
South Africa’s high crime rates have given rise to a huge private security industry.
In the last decade security firms increased by more than 40%, according to a Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) report.
