Two Indian-born businessmen brothers have been arrested and are facing extradition to South Africa where they were allegedly at the centre of a web of state corruption, Dubai police said.

Atul and Rajesh Gupta are accused of paying bribes for state contracts and influence over ministerial appointments in a scandal that dogged former president Jacob Zuma’s administration.

“Dubai Police made the arrest after receiving a red notice for the Gupta brothers by Interpol,” Dubai Police said in a statement.

“The force has also coordinated with the authorities in South Africa regarding the extradition file to complete the legal procedures.”

The arrests came as a probe was concluded into massive plundering of state institutions during Zuma’s nine-year administration until 2018.

Red notices are a global alert enabling law enforcement to arrest a person sought for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence and detain them pending extradition.