Durban - The police's elite crime investigating unit, the Hawks are investigating whether a man arrested for trying to attack the Taqwa Mosque in De Deur‚ in Gauteng last month may be behind a spate of bomb-like devices that were planted in shopping malls and a retail chain in Durban in recent weeks.
According to TimesLIVE, a 36-year-old man, who has links to Verulam was arrested after a failed attempt on the Taqwa Mosque in De Deur on July 31.
He appeared in court on August 2 and is expected to apply for bail in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said that the man’s ties to Durban and the spate of attacks there was the subject of ongoing investigations.
“We are still investigating and talking about what would detail our investigation. We are looking at links‚” he told TimesLIVE.
In July the Hawks' Crimes Against the State (Cats) Unit - who are also probing the deadly attack on the Imam Hussain Mosque in Verulam - was brought in to investigate a string of incendiary devices found around Durban in July.
At least six devices were found planted in shopping malls, Woolworth stores and near a car on the day of the Durban July.
The incidents which appeared to target Woolworths at first has prompted the retail giant to start searching all their customer entering their Durban stores.