North West police blew up an invitation to the lavish Gupta family wedding because it was thought to be an explosive device, it was reported.

The invitation was addressed to provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Merriam Mbombo, The Star reported.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane told the newspaper the package had appeared to be suspicious.

"We got the invite, but Mrs Mbombo was not expecting an invitation.

"When it arrived and we looked at it, it looked like it had wires [attached] and we had to do our normal security checks."

Included in the invitation were six ornate cylinders, which reportedly contained gifts including foreign chocolate and dried fruit.

Two police dogs were called in to check the package, and one of them apparently detected something suspicious.

"So we had no choice... and had to bring in the bomb squad," Ngubane said.

A jet chartered by the Guptas landed at the Waterkloof Air Force base --a national key point -- in Pretoria, before the wedding.

Government suspended five high-ranking officials and military personnel over the landing, which had not been properly authorised.

Several government departments are probing the matter, after claims that the wealthy and politically-connected Gupta family posed a threat to national security by misusing state resources.