South Africa arrests four men suspected of planning to fight for Russia

South African police said they arrested four men en route to Russia who are suspected of being recruited to fight in the army there.

The men were stopped at a boarding gate in Johannesburg on Friday, police said, weeks after reports that 17 other South African men had been stranded in Ukraine after being lured to join mercenary forces with the promise of lucrative contracts, Reuters reported, The Geopost reported.

It is illegal under South African law for citizens to provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in foreign armies without authorization.

The arrests followed a tip-off from (Johannesburg airport police) about four men who were en route to Russia via the United Arab Emirates,” the elite Hawks police unit said in a statement on Saturday.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that a South African woman is suspected of facilitating the travel and recruitment of these individuals into the military of the Russian Federation,” it added.

The Hawks family said the four suspects are expected to appear in court on Monday on suspicion of contravening the Foreign Military Assistance Regulation Act.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into how the 17 men ended up fighting in Ukraine, amid ongoing efforts to bring them home.

Police have also said they will investigate Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, who was accused by her half-sister of being involved in luring the men to Russia with false pretenses.

Zuma-Sambudla resigned as a member of parliament on Friday, but has not responded publicly to the allegations.