Seven police officers have been arrested after allegedly extorting money from two shops owned by Chinese nationals in Milnerton, Cape Town, in the Western Cape.
Provincial spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said the officers were arrested on Sunday.
“It is alleged that the members, accompanied by a suspect in civilian clothes, took an undisclosed amount of cash from the two shops, allegedly as protection money.
“The incident was reported to police and members of the Anti-Corruption Unit and Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit detectives acted swiftly and apprehended the suspects last night in Milnerton while they were on duty. As the investigation unfolds, leads are pursued to identify more suspects who could also be arrested,” said Traut.
Traut added that police officers between the ages 24 and 43, are expected to make their court appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General, Thembisile Patekile, condemned the involvement of police members in extortion-related crimes.
Patekile said corrupt police officers have no place in the (South African Police Service) SAPS and will be dealt with in accordance with the SAPS disciplinary regulations.
Last week Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said three suspects who were wanted for a string of extortion and murder cases in the eThekwini District, were shot and killed in two separate incidents of shoot-outs with police in KZN on Wednesday afternoon and the early hours of Thursday.
In the first incident on Wednesday afternoon, police followed up on information regarding the whereabouts of a suspect wanted for at least four extortion cases and another four counts of murder which he allegedly committed in the KwaNdengezi and Mariannhill areas.
“When police arrived at a house at Glebe in Inanda, the suspect fired shots at the police and during the shoot-out, the suspect was shot and fatally wounded. He was found in possession of a 7.65 pistol with four rounds of ammunition,” Netshiunda said.
In the second incident, police operationalised intelligence which uncovered the hideout of two suspects who were also wanted for extortion and murder cases.
“The suspects were cornered at Edabe informal settlement in Tshelimnyama in Mariannhill and the suspects shot at the police from inside the house. In self-defence police returned fire and during the shoot-out, two suspects were shot and fatally wounded. They were found in possession of two firearms,” Netshiunda said.
He said all recovered firearms will be taken for ballistic testing to check if they are linked to other crime scenes.
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