Pretoria Central police have apprehended yet another suspect accused of impersonating a police officer following last week’s arrest.
The arrest around 09:00 on Sunday, May 12 occurred when police were executing weekend-long crime prevention operations on Lilian Ngoyi Street.
Spokesperson Constable Thabang Nkhumise said as crime prevention patrol officers and wardens were conducting a stop-and-search, they approached a parked vehicle with three male occupants.
He said as police searched the vehicle, they realised two of the occupants were being held against their will.
“According to the statement given, the two were heading to Bethanie [near] Brits and were hitchhiking a ride. The driver offered them a lift, but along the trip, he deviated and drove with them to Pretoria Central station, claimed he’s a cop, then demanded an amount of R9 000 for their release.
They asked family for cash and the wife of one sent him R10 000. The driver was immediately arrested and the two freed and assisted to head back to their intended destination,” Nkhumise said.
The suspect was charged with impersonating a police officer, extortion and kidnapping.
He said another 29 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, five for possession of illegal substances, three shoplifting, one for theft and another for contempt of court to bring the total to 39.
“We want to welcome this arrest and further assert that collaborations among sister departments, agencies and the community assist in policing the inner city,” said station commander, Brigadier Gibin Hlengane Mashaba.
“The community should be cautious of bogus officers and never fall into their trap. However, should they find themselves in such situations, they must comply for their own safety and gather all the necessary information to report such crimes.”
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
