A HLUHLUWE traffic officer was arrested by the Hawks in an unplanned sting operation on Monday, after allegedly attempting to extort a bribe from a truck driver.
Bethuel Hlela (39) was arrested after he pulled over a truck, inspected it and reportedly demanded that the driver pay him R500 for a fault he found.
He reportedly also took the truck driver’s licence from him to secure payment.
He later reportedly dropped the amount to R200.
The driver contacted the owner of the trucking company, who in turn alerted W/O Ryno Louw of the Director of Priority Crime Investigation in Richards Bay.
Louw mobilised a team and departed for Hluhluwe.
The driver was instructed to exchange the R200 at a fuel station, where Hlela was then arrested.
He appeared in the Mtubatuba District Court and was released on R1 000 bail with conditions.
In October, the Empangeni Regional Court sent out a clear message that police corruption will not be tolerated, when three policemen received direct imprisonment for a similar offence.
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