It took a year for police to investigate identical twin brothers and a sibling duo allegedly linked to plots to attack the US embassy in South Africa and Jewish institutions. Twins Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie have been charged with terrorism. Brother and sister Ibrahim and Fatima Patel were charged with illegal possession of explosives and ammunition relating to the alleged terror plot.Hours after the four appeared in two separate Johannesburg courts yesterday, family and friends spoke to The Times about how the twins apparently began leading double lives. The 24-year-old Thulsie brothers, in grey hooded tracksuits under black thawbs, appeared crestfallen in the dock of the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on three charges relating to terrorism.They have been charged under the 2004 Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Other Related Activities Act.The twins' provisional charge sheet states that, between April 2015 and July 8 2016, they allegedly "conspired to commit the crime of terrorism by planning to cause explosions at a Mission of the United States of America and Jewish institutions". The charge sheet states that the two also "conspired to leave South Africa to join IS in Syria for the purpose of participating in acts of terrorism being committed by IS". It also says the two were conspiring to "incite persons" to aid them in their plans.DISBELIEF: Wasiela Thulsie, mother of the accused, with her daughter Sumaya Lackay, outside the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court yesterday. Picture: ALON SKUYPolice sources say the Thulsies are believed to have recruited the Patels, who appeared in the Kagiso Magistrate's Court on the West Rand.Friends, neighbours and family of the four told The Times of their disbelief about the arrests."They are good Muslim children," said a neighbour of the Patels.In the suburb of Azaadville, the neighbour said: "The whole family is extremely religious but I know these children. I know them like they are my own."She said Ibrahim was a police reservist and member of the local community policing forum."I can't believe they are what the police are saying, that they are terrorists."Neighbours of the Thulsies, who live in Newclare, said everyone was shocked.Social media searches show multiple personas of the twins, with video clips and images of scantily clad women in discos and breakdancers on Brandon-Lee's Facebook page. His postings, however, stopped in May.A further search of Facebook under Brandon-Lee's Islamic name brings up religious Islamic scripts with an image of an IS fighter embedded in the word "Islam". Neighbour Deirdre Sisson, who went to school with the Thulsies, said: "They were perfectly normal at school, outgoing and social. They had girlfriends, played sport. Brandon tried to get into film casting."They deejayed and played music at parties."But, said Sisson, the twins changed last year after they converted to Islam."We then heard that they tried to go to Syria but were stopped. When they got back the mosque banned them from attending because its elders didn't want trouble."They have become very private, no longer see people."The Thulsies' case has been postponed to Tuesday and the Patels' to Monday.The Thulsies' sister, Salome McKuur, declined to comment but a relative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the family was devastated."No one knows what's going on. We can't believe it. When they converted to Islam everyone accepted them because our family is a mixture of Muslims and Christians."The next thing we hear after their conversion is that they tried to go to Syria."No one knows why. All their mother would say is that they had been brought home. She wouldn't say anything else."When they converted, they changed a lot. They stopped partying, clubbing and deejaying. They left their friends and became very religious and started getting rid of all their worldly things."They wouldn't talk any more and became quite secretive," she said.Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said investigations were at a sensitive stage."Evidence gathered at the scenes, which includes computer electronic devices, has been sent for analysis."Asked whether the four were involved in recruiting, he said this would form part of the investigation.Mulaudzi confirmed that Ibrahim Patel was a police reservist.A police source said the biggest threat to South Africa from extremism was "lone wolves"."This is the big danger. It's among the things that will form part of this investigation. Were these four a group or lone wolves? Were they involved in recruiting others? Where were they training and when were they going to execute their plans?" the source said.Zev Krengel, of the Jewish Board of Deputies, said security around Jewish institutions was already heightened and had been increased in June following a US travel advisory.US embassy spokesman Cynthia Harvey declined to comment...