Durban - Two senior police officers have been arrested on charges of fraud and corruption relating to firearm licence applications in Gauteng.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the two station commanders were arrested by members of the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit and the National Anti-Corruption Unit.
He said the brigadiers have been arrested for their alleged involvement in fraud, defeating the administration of justice and contravention of the Firearms Control Act (Act 60/2000) in multiple case dockets in the areas of Edenvale, Kempton Park and Norwood in the province of Gauteng.
"The arrest of the two brigadiers brings to 28 the total number of people arrested in connection with these cases after the 26 people were arrested earlier this year. Of the 28 suspects, 17 are police officers, of which two are retired and 11 are civilians,“ he said.
The investigations started three years ago when It emerged that during November 2017 security companies were involved in crimes of extortion in the Western Cape relating to firearm applications in Gauteng.
He said in January 2018, several other people, family and friends in Cape Town obtained competency and licences to possess firearms as well as temporary authorisation to possess a firearm in an allegedly fraudulent manner.
Naidoo added that investigations revealed that the applicants had all made applications in Edenvale, Norwood and Kempton Park in Gauteng.
“Information was received that the applicants would go to a gun shop in Kempton Park, where they would do a proficiency test to make an application for competency to possess a firearm and ammunition,” he said.
’’National police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole has applauded the perseverance of the team in this investigation," Naidoo said.
"We are systematically identifying and rooting out corruption and corrupt members from the SAPS," Sitole added.
He said it may be the hope and desire of many that criminality within the SAPS should be more speedily eradicated. These investigation processes, in order for them to be executed effectively, takes time.
"The most effective way of dealing with corruption is to prevent it and in order to do this, I am again urging both members of the SAPS as well as the community at large to refrain from engaging in such activities - because you will be caught", Sitole said.
The two brigadiers are expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
In June, alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack and two others appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court after they were nabbed for their alleged involvement in the operation.
Murdered top cop Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear had been investigating the case at the time of his murder.
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