Saunders’ kidnappers may have advised Thulsies on building bombs

TALI FEINBERG

“The accused allegedly had contact with the terror-accused Thulsie twins and gave advice on encrypted chat sites on how to make bombs,” reported The Citizen.

The affidavit revealed Del Vecchio advising someone via Telegram (an encrypted chat application used on smartphones) on bomb making. He posted: “But bombs are easy akhi (brother), just use fireworks powder and close it in a metal [c]ontainer and you have a good bomb.”

A manual called a “MujGuide” was also recovered on a digital device owned by Del Vecchio. “This manual provides highly relevant detail on how to carry out a terrorist attack, including bomb making,” read the affidavit.

Advocate Adele Barnard, the prosecutor in the Thulsie twins’ ongoing case, was in court to represent the state. She adamantly turned down bail for the third co-accused, 19-year-old Themba Xulu, who is charged with robbery, after being found with the couple’s cellphone in his possession.

Detective Warrant Officer Anuresh Lutchman, who is based in the Crimes Against the State Unit, a division of the Hawks, opposed bail on several grounds, saying it was in “the interests of justice… and international peace and security” to keep the co-accused behind bars. He also cited concerns that they would “interfere with investigations” into the whereabouts of the “missing couple [who] have not yet been found” or alert others being sought by the police.

In the affidavit Lutchman also provided chilling details of how the Saunders couple were “hunted” as a target for terrorism, after being spotted in a forest near the extremists’ base.

“On February 9 2018, there [were] discussions [in chat rooms] of preparing to kill the kuffar [non-believer] and abduct their allies, to destroy infrastructure and to put the fear in the heart of the kuffar.

“On February 10 2018, [Del Vecchio] mentioned to [Patel] and Bazooka (the nickname of the man still being sought by the police) that there is an elderly couple in the forest, that it is a “good hunt” and that they had equipment.

There is still no trace of the couple. “After an extensive search and rescue operation…, the Toyota Land Cruiser that belonged to the couple was recovered on February 18 – in the Verulam area. A forensic examination conducted on the vehicle indicated that there was human blood inside the cargo area of the vehicle,” said the affidavit.

Hopes fade of finding the Saunders alive as the affidavit states that on February 10, [Del Vecchio] said in a discussion: “When the brothers in Kenya go out and do this work, it is very important that the body of the victim is never found and it remains a missing person case.”

In addition to kidnap and possible murder, the terrorists had gone on a spending spree using Rachel Saunders’ credit card. “Del Vecchio confirmed in a chat on Telegram that he was taking ‘a lot of cash from the ATM’,” according to the affidavit. The state is alleging that Del Vecchio and Patel drew hundreds of thousands from Saunders’ account.

Other items found included a drone, camping equipment, two generators and paintball equipment, amongst others, all purchased with her bank card.

“A GPS device belonging to Rachel and Rodney Saunders was also found during the search of the premises, reported The Citizen.