In a disturbing trend, reports have surfaced revealing an alarming rise in criminals impersonating law enforcement. Victims have found themselves unwittingly caught in a web of deceit, with many being falsely arrested on dubious charges only to be coerced into paying steep bribes to escape legal repercussions.
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A syndicate of fake search warrants and fake arrests is growing in Johannesburg. A growing number of local residents are coming forward to share their alarming experiences. These reports suggest that some members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are carrying out fake arrests.
The victims of this alleged scheme recount being arrested on charges that they claim are baseless or fabricated. Once these individuals are processed through the legal system, a chilling twist awaits them in court. According to multiple victims, the investigating officer offers them a troubling deal: if they pay a bribe to both the prosecutor and the officer, their case will be dismissed. This bribery, many claim, seems to be the very purpose behind their arrest.
"I was arrested on charges I know I didn’t commit. After the case was sent to court, the investigating officer approached me and said that for the right price, I could walk away without a case," said one victim, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution. "It was clear to me that the entire arrest was a set-up."
The details of these incidents reveal a shocking pattern: individuals are arrested on questionable charges, only to be coerced into paying substantial bribes to avoid the legal consequences. The officers involved, it is claimed, work in tandem with prosecutors to create a false sense of urgency and pressure the accused into paying up. The scheme promises to "resolve" the case quickly, but the underlying motivation appears to be financial exploitation.
Unbeknownst to the accused, the prosecutor will put up a fight for the accused to remain in custody. The accused’s lawyer will then intervene, giving the impression that the case against the accused is “water-tight”
Businessman Zaakir Mia was charged by the Norwood police station on an allegation of property investment fraud. Although the complainant, Naushad Hassim’s case was previously thrown out of the High Court, the matter strangely landed up at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court. A property deal involving Mia and Hassim went sour when Mia couldn’t raise investors for the property, leading Hassim to open a case against him.
Human rights advocates and legal experts are expressing grave concern over these allegations. "This is a clear case of corruption," said Kgomotso Ndlovu, a prominent human rights lawyer in Johannesburg. "What we’re seeing here is a systematic exploitation of vulnerable individuals, where false arrests are made to force people into paying bribes to clear their names."
Experts suggest that this behaviour is not isolated but rather indicative of a wider culture of corruption within some factions of South Africa’s police force. They warn that such actions are a syndicate between complainants, prosecutors and magistrates.
In response to the growing number of complaints, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced that it is conducting an internal investigation into the allegations of misconduct.
Two men were arrested in Alberton for pretending to be SAPS officers. The suspects were driving a vehicle with fraudulent licence plates and they had fake police IDs.
The suspects stole a cellphone belonging to an unidentified member of the public. The victim of the phone theft approached CPS Security’s tactical response unit, which was on regular patrol, for help. They were subsequently linked to another theft case in Alberton North, where a victim lost a cellphone and R7 000 in cash.