Pretoria – Four police officers based in Limpopo have been arrested for robbing three foreign nationals after the on-duty law enforcement agents spotted them making a withdrawal at an ATM.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the incident of common robbery happened last week in Motetema policing area, outside Groblersdal, in the Sekhukhune District.
“On Wednesday, 8 March 2023, the four suspects (the police officers) were on duty, using a marked police minibus when they reportedly spotted three men withdrawing money from the ATM at the mall in Groblersdal,” Mojapelo narrated.
The police officers suspected the men at the ATM to be foreign nationals, and they confronted them, demanding passports from the trio.
“The members (officers) allegedly approached them and demanded passports. They thereafter arrested them when they failed to produce passports and put them into their motor vehicle,” Mojapelo said.
“While driving along the road, the members allegedly stopped the minibus and forcefully took an amount of R5 000 from the complainant, and gave them an amount of R60 to take a taxi ride home.”
Thereafter, the complainant in the matter managed to get assistance and immediately went to the Motetema police station to report the incident.
A task team was established to probe the incident and to locate the accused police officers.
“The matter was later handed over to the provincial anti-corruption team for further investigations, and a warrant of arrest was subsequently issued against them,” Mojapelo said.
“A joint operation to execute the warrant was conducted (on Tuesday) and the four members were arrested while on duty at Sekhukhune district offices in Groblersdal.”
Provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the arrest of the four police officers.
“The arrest of these members should send a clear message that the SAPS in this province does not tolerate any form of criminality, regardless of who is the perpetrator,” Hadebe said.
“The majority of police members in this province are loyal, dedicated and passionate about their policing services and decisive steps are taken against those who go astray.”
The four police officers, between 31 and 36 years old, are scheduled to appear today, before the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of common robbery.
IOL