Bogus cops rob Pretoria residents of money, valuables

Impersonators of police officers or rogue policemen are terrorising Pretoria residents and robbing them of their valuables and money.

Tshwane Central Cluster said they were determined to find and arrest them.

Captain Colette Weilbach said five incidents have been reported so far. She appealed to other victims who have not reported similar crimes to do so.

Two incidents were reported on Monday in Brooklyn and Sunnyside. In the first incident, a man on foot was stopped by a vehicle in Sunnyside.

“The occupants of the vehicle flashed a police appointment card at the man. He was then told he is a suspect in a murder and robbery case. They asked him to get into their vehicle and to open his bag and wallet.

“While the alleged police officers drove around with the man they forced him to give his ATM card pin number to them. The man was released after he was robbed of his personal belongings and after they withdrew money from his account,” Weilbach said.

In the second incident, another man on foot was called by two unknown men in a white Volkswagen at a filling station in Hatfield.

“They introduced themselves as police officers by showing him a police appointment card and informed the man that he is a suspect in a burglary case at an embassy where a large amount of dollars were stolen.

“The alleged police officers made him write a statement in which he denied the allegations. He also had to hand over his bank cards and the alleged police officers made him write down his pin number. They then used his card at different shops,” Weilbach said.

There were three similar incidents last week in Silverton and Sunnyside. One victim’s vehicle was stolen.

“The alleged police officers were driving an unmarked white or a silver-grey Ford Focus. In some incidents, a blue light was visible in the front window or they had police reflector jackets.”

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.