According to Warrant Officer Balan Muthan, head of communications for Douglasdale police, the motorist was returning home from a show at Montecasino at 1am on 31 October when she was pulled over during the roadblock.
Muthan said the motorist described the officers who were conducting the roadblock as wearing brown uniforms, and surmised they were Gauteng Traffic Police.
The motorist alleged that the officers intimidated her and told her that they would arrest her under suspicion of driving under the influence unless she gave them money. The motorist asked if she could go to an ATM to withdraw cash as she had none on her. The officers asked her to hand over her cellphone, which was an iPhone 5 and her driver’s licence as collateral, and said they would wait for her to return.
On the motorist’s return from the ATM where she withdrew R500 she found that the roadblock had been packed up and the officers were nowhere in sight.
Busaphi Nxumalo said the Gauteng Traffic Police did conduct an operation on Witkoppen Road on Thursday 30 October, but knocked off at 11pm. Nxumalo said officers did not confiscate any licences or cellphones during the operation.
Muthan said the motorist gave her statement to the Douglasdale police but has since decided to withdraw charges and will not be pursuing the matter further.
He said leading up to the festive season, residents should be extra vigilant when using the roads. He said if pulled over during a roadblock, residents should take note of the uniforms and identification of the officers, as well as registration numbers of official vehicles and any vehicle markings.
