Pretoria – The SAPS, in conjunction with the Joburg Metro Police Department, arrested four suspects for impersonating police officers in the Joburg CBD.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said the four were arrested on Sunday at the corner of Bree and Twist streets.
“Two of the suspects are females,” said Mbele.
“Police were busy with their routine crime prevention duties when they saw suspicious people busy harassing the community. They were targeting foreign nationals demanding passports from them. Police intercepted them and found them in possession of appointment certificates and handcuffs.”
He said investigations were under way and the four would be appearing in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg central acting station commander Colonel Richard Manyekoane has commended the swift response by the police.
In February, a 45-year-old woman was arrested for impersonating police in Joburg CBD, after she was allegedly part a group of fake police officers demanding passports from people on the streets.
“It is alleged that four bogus police (officers) stopped two women at the corner of Bree and Von Wielligh streets and showed them their fake appointment cards and demanded their passports,” Mbele said at the time.
“They (the confronted women) failed to produce them and they (the bogus officers) demanded R500 from each of them or face arrest. The victims only had R100 and they told them that they were under arrest.”
The SAPS received a tip-off from a community member about the bogus police officers robbing people.
IOL