The United States and Britain have tightened controls on travelers using South African passports after security departments warned convenience provided by the passports might gave international terrorists an easy entry into the countries, local media reported.

The move came after the US intelligence agencies have learned that al-Qaeda is particularly interested in South African passport holders because the network believes South Africans enjoy visa-free entry into many countries, local newspaper Thisday reported on Wednesday.

A report in this week's US edition of Time magazine was quoted as saying that following intensive media coverage last week of four South African passport holders were arrested respectively in Pakistan, the United States and Mexico for alleged terror links.

The South African government has not yet verified if the four, three men and one woman, are its citizens or not, citing difficulties to have access to them.

Inspectors at major air and seaports across the United States have been placed on high alert, with orders to increase scrutiny of South African travelers, said the newspaper.

It also quoted online news service World NetDaily as saying that the US customs and border protection bureau bulletin warned that al-Qaeda and other terrorists may be utilizing South African passports and instructed customs officers to pay attention to passengers and crew members.

The bulletin warned that South African al-Qaeda suspects might use Britain as an easy transit point to enter the United States, since their passports allow visa-free travel to Britain.

South African Minister of Home Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula planned to meet with Britain's Home Secretary David Blunkett on Thursday to discuss "that was seen as the undue suspicion with which South African passport-holders have been treated in recent months," said the newspaper.

Source: Xinhua