South Africa police stop terror plot

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 27 (UPI) -- South Africa's top law officer says his agents foiled an al-Qaida plot last month in an operation that also prompted action in Syria, Jordan and Britain.

Jackie Selebi, the country's police commissioner, said a number of people from outside South Africa were arrested April 9, five days before a national election, the BBC reported Thursday.

"We arrested some people who had evil intentions towards this country," he said. "We did not tell anybody."

Selebi said his police operation led to arrests in Jordan and Syria.

In April, Jordanian officials said they foiled a chemical plot, arresting six people and killing four others.

Officials said the plot involved attacking the intelligence department in Amman, using trucks loaded with 20 tons of chemicals and possibly causing the deaths of thousands of people.

Selebi added as part of his operation British police found "boxes and boxes" of South African passports at a London home.