Three Nyanga police officers have been arrested for a business robbery that took place five months ago.

The constables allegedly took money and cigarettes from a spaza shop in Extension 2 in Mfuleni on October 1, 2024.

According to a police incident report, the members of the Visible Policing Unit were in their uniform and driving a government vehicle when the crime was committed.

“The members robbed a shop of R5 600 as well as cigarettes to the value of R6 930.

“The automated vehicle location (AVL) of the vehicle with cell phone records placed members on the scene.

“The case was initially investigated by members of Mfuleni’s Crime Intelligence Division (CID), who later handed over the docket to the anti-corruption unit.

“The members were arrested on Monday because they were about to start their last night shift before going on rest days.”

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said the provincial anti-corruption unit had arrested the three officers in connection with charges of business robbery and firing a firearm.

“The three aged 28, 28 and 29 were arrested at Nyanga SAPS when they reported for duty yesterday.

“Investigation shows that the members were on duty at SAPS Nyanga when the three members visited a Somali shop in Mfuleni at around 21:00 and requested to search the shop. It is alleged that the police officers then demanded access to the room where cash and cigarettes were kept.

“When the owner refused, they pointed their firearms at him and forced the owner to open the security room, from where they took an unknown amount of cash and cigarettes. The owner and his two brothers were guarded by accomplices in the back room.

“The police officers then loaded the cigarettes into the SAPS vehicle and sped away. The owner of the shop managed to follow the suspects in his private vehicle and took a video of the police vehicle in question and later reported the case to the Western Cape Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation.”

Pojie added that after a thorough investigation by the unit, the docket was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who then decided to charge the members with business robbery and the firing of a firearm.

“Subsequently, a warrant for arrest was issued and executed on the same day. The members are being held at Mfuleni SAPS police cells and are expected to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court.”

SOURCE:Policemen arrested for robbing a local store – Volkskraft News