Seven police officers arrested for extortion linked to cigarettes in KZN

The Hawks have confirmed that four policemen have been arrested in connection with corruption after they allegedly tried to extort almost R100 000 from a Phoenix shop owner in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

It is understood the officers were handcuffed on Tuesday morning.

This comes after four other men, three of them also police officers, were nabbed by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation unit on Sunday.

Police from Gauteng and KZN

Three of the policemen are from Gauteng, while one is from Ntuzuma in KZN.

Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo told The Citizen the four cops, aged between 31 and 46, are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Mhlongo said one of the men identified himself as a police officer based in Durban.

“The shop owner was doing his work as usual and one man came in and purchased three boxes of cigarettes. He went out and he came back with more accomplices and they told him that the cigarettes that he was selling were illicit.”

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Demands

Mhlongo said the shop owner was then driven to Phoenix Police Station where a payment was allegedly demanded for his release.

“They collected all the stock of cigarettes in the shop and they went out with him. They then instructed him to phone the wife to bring R100,000 so that he can be released and his stock be given back.”

Mhlongo said the Hawks were alerted to the alleged extortion and swooped in on the officers.

“We followed up that information. They were arranging the meeting place and finally they met with the wife in Ottawa. where she handed R 79,500 to them. Immediately after the transaction, Hawks members arrested them.”

Mhlongo said police seized the money, a Ford Ranger and various firearms.

Extortionists in Gauteng

Meanwhile, four alleged extortionists have been arrested at a construction site of a petrol station in the Johannesburg CBD.

Police from Gauteng Organised Crime Investigation Unit and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) arrested the suspects for extortion and intimidation on Monday.

It is alleged that at least eight suspected extortionists confronted the employees of a construction company and demanded 30% of the income for the construction to continue working.

This amount was to be paid every month.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said law enforcement officials received information about the extortion demand and acted swiftly

Masondo said the arrested suspects will be profiled to determine if they are involved in other similar cases.

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