Johannesburg - Five men thought to be behind a spate of crimes involving bogus Johannesburg metro police officers appeared in the Midrand Magistrate's Court on Monday, Gauteng police said.
The group faced charges of possession of unlicensed firearms, posing as members of the police, and conspiracy to rob, Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said.
The matter was postponed to February 18 and the five would remain in police custody.
Dlamini said the men could not be named until an identity parade had been held.
The group was arrested last Friday after police were tipped off about a planned truck hijacking.
“Police seized traffic officials' uniforms, a jamming device, and 9mm pistols,” he said.
The cars had been impounded for further investigation.
Dlamini said the jamming device was thought to have been used to jam tracking signals, police radios, and cellphones.
“One of the suspects was identified as a possible ringleader of the group,” he said.
Johannesburg metro police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said bogus metro officers stole two cars in Midrand last week.
A man was hijacked by fake metro cops on the M1 between the Marlboro and Grayston roads.
A driver of a Toyota Quantum was also robbed of his vehicle by bogus metro officers outside Midrand last Wednesday.
Dlamini said police investigations would continue and he was confident the arrest would solve several cases of truck hijackings and armed robberies. - Sapa