A 26-year-old man who was busted red-handed pretending to be a policeman, appeared in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, reports the Northern Natal News.

The alleged fake cop was remanded into custody until Tuesday (May 26) for a formal bail application.

Police say the man posed as a SAPS officer on several occasions and even inserted himself into community matters to appear legitimate.

In one shocking incident, he allegedly arrived at a local school after a bullying incident and conducted an anti-bullying awareness campaign with school management, all the while pretending to be a police officer.

The alarm was raised when the fake cop allegedly interfered in a criminal investigation, raising suspicions among officers at the scene about whether he was truly a member of SAPS.

Good detective work eventually uncovered the truth. The man was asked to present himself at the police station and when the unsuspecting fraudster did so, he was immediately arrested.

Detectives have since established that the suspect is from the Durban area and is allegedly linked to several scams and extortion cases there.

Police are now urging anyone who may have been targeted or deceived by the alleged bogus cop to come forward.

Anyone with information or who may have fallen victim is urged to contact Sergeant Zwane on 082 411 7070.

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