Police have confirmed on Wednesday morning that a man was arrested after a suspected homemade explosive device was found at a mosque in Roshnee, Vereeniging.

Police spokesperson Captain Fikile Funda said that a 36-year-old man, who was not known in the community, attended a prayer service at the Masjid Taqwa mosque in Gauteng on Monday.

Funda said security guards “spotted that the man left his bag behind”.

The bag was taken to the safe room of the mosque.

He said security officials opened the bag on Tuesday and discovered the suspected handmade explosive device.

“When the prayer services were about to start yesterday [Tuesday] the very same man pitched-up again. The security guards apprehended him based on what they found in the bag. He couldn’t give an explanation on what he was doing there.”

The man was arrested and is expected to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with the illegal possession of explosives.