Do this and you will be arrested, police warn

Opening a false case in Benoni will result in your arrest.

Maj-Gen Poobalan Subbiah.

Maj-Gen Poobalan Subbiah, the Ekurhuleni Central Cluster SAPS commander, issued this warning to the public.

He said at least 53 false cases relating to business robberies, house robberies and hijackings have successfully been investigated by the cluster from April 1 last year to March 31 this year.

Dockets of perjury were opened against the culprits.

The commander said false cases drain police resources that could be spent investigating genuine crimes.

Some of the reported cases investigated by the Ekurhuleni Central Cluster Trio Task Team involved persons who claimed to have been hijacked, when the driver actually crashed the vehicle.

Others involve domestic incidents which turn violent and lead to the damage of household items.

These items are then claimed as having been stolen in a robbery.

Subbiah said people have also reported household items as stolen, but investigations revealed that they were sold to settle drug purchases.

Although the commander could not be drawn on the number of convictions made and sentences handed down, he said the police’s investigations into these cases are of a high standard.

“They will be arrested irrespective of the excuse they give,” said Subbiah.

“The quality of investigation is high and we won’t stop at anything.

“… it is only a matter of time before we effect the arrest.”

The commander encouraged those who know of falsely reported cases to inform the police.