Former Air force Man Arrested for extremist plot

A former South African Air Force technician has been arrested for trying to supply weapons to a right-wing extremist group and is due to appear in the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on Monday, iol news reports.

Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko said the 46-year-old Brackenfell man had a stock of munitions and wanted to “sponsor” the extremists – but was intercepted before he could carry out his plan.

Ramaloko wouldn’t name the group, nor say how many weapons the Hawks found in the suspect’s confiscated stockpile.

The man cannot be identified until he appears in court.

The Hawks confirmed that the man worked for the air force for over two decades.

According to his online CV, the suspect began his career as an armament technician in 1989, arming and disarming the air force’s Cheetah jets as well as “handling, packaging, storage and transportation of ammunition and explosives in the SAAF”.

He writes that he was also a member of the air force’s Bomb Disposal Team, a maintenance planner for the Gripen and Hawk fighter jets, as well as an explosives manager.

Originally from the Free State, his address was listed as Braambos Military Base in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, until 2012. Then it changed to Brackenfell.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he was studying to be a paralegal practitioner through UCT at the time.

The suspect expressed unpatriotic sentiments online, writing on LinkedIn: “I need a sponsored Job in aviation with visa 457 URGENTLY PLEASE.”

A 457 visa is an Australian work visa that allows skilled professionals to work in the country temporarily.

He added: “I love my studies... but i hate my country... wish i can emigrate to Canada or Australia.”