Johannesburg Central police arrested four suspects, three female and one a male, on 24 May for impersonating police officers.
The suspects were arrested in two separate incidents in Joburg CBD on the same day. Two suspects were arrested on the corner of Noord and Wanderers streets. Captain Xoli Mbele spokesperson of the Joburg Central Police Station said, “It is alleged that two suspects stopped three foreign nationals demanding their passports. They told one of the victims that their passport had expired and demanded R3 000. While they were negotiating the amount, the police came to their rescue and arrested the suspects on the spot.”
Mbele said that in the second incident, the other two suspects were arrested on the corner of Twist and Plein streets. The police recovered two fake appointment police certificates.
The suspects were not dressed in police uniform. “This is one of the challenges the central police is facing in the CBD, where we are receiving complaints from community members of people pretending to be police officers, particularly targeting foreign nationals.”
Community members should identify a genuine officer by asking for their appointment certificate – the certificate should match their photo. Mbele stressed that a police officer should not be given any form of payment.
The suspects were charged with impersonating a police officer and will be appearing at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 27 May.
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https://northeasterntribune.co.za/202750/metro-police-advise-johannesburg-motorists-recognise-bogus-cops/
