The South African government has welcomed the US imposing sanctions on the controversial Indian-origin Gupta family for running a "significant corruption network" in the country, saying the interest of justice must not be shackled by any boundary or border.

The sanctions, announced by the US treasury department on Thursday, were targeted at brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta, and South African businessman Salim Essa. They are accused of using their friendship with South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma to profit financially and influence ministerial appointments.

"The Gupta family leveraged its political connections to engage in widespread corruption and bribery, capture government contracts, and misappropriate state assets. Treasury's designation targets the Guptas'' pay-to-play political patronage, which was orchestrated at the expense of the South African people," Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.

The sanctions prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions with the four men, or entities owned or controlled by them.

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The Gupta brothers