Fake cops nabbed after hassling vendors
Hillbrow vendors will breathe a sigh of relief after police arrested two police imposters.
The arrest came after the two men were found with fake Metro police cards in their possession.
According to Captain Nthabiseng Magowa of the Hillbrow police, the men were using the cards pretending to be Metro police officers and harassing street vendors.
“One street vendor alleged that the two imposters had terrorised him and demanded that he pay them R500 or face arrest,” she said.
“After the terrified hawker informed the imposters that he did not have the amount, they brought him outside our police station and demanded the money.”
Magowa said the vendor was then allegedly forced to pay R50 after which they ‘released’ him.
The two imposters’ ruse came to an end on 19 June when two policemen apprehended them at the corner of Edith Cavell and Goldreich streets.
“The constable and his colleague tried to approach the men but as soon as they got nearer, the suspects ran away,” she said.
After a brief chase, the two policemen cornered the imposters and conducted a search of the two suspects.
“It was then that the constable discovered the fake Metro police cards which the imposters had allegedly been using to terrorise and solicit money from the community,” she said.
The men confessed to everything including information on where they obtained the fake cards. The men were also found with a driver’s licence which did not belong to either one of them.
They were detained at the police station and will be charged with impersonating police officers and common robbery.
Magowa added that more charges could be added after investigations were concluded.
At the time of going to press, police were profiling the suspects and it was unclear when they would appear in court.
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