News / Africa
19 South African policemen arrested for smuggling
10 Dec 2014 at 06:46hrs | Views
A TASK team led by South Africa's National Commissioner of Police, Riah Phiyega has arrested 19 police officers in Limpopo province for facilitating the smuggling of cigarettes from Zimbabwe into that country.
The 19 were arrested on Friday morning by a team comprising members of the Crime Intelligence and detectives investigating the involvement of the police in distributing illegal cigarettes. The operation to arrest the 19 officers, which consisted of six warrant officers and 13 constables, started at 4AM on Friday morning.
SAPS National Commissioner General Phiyega made the revelations at Morebeng Police Station (formerly known as Soekmekaar), where nine of the 19 police officers were arrested.
"We've been working on this for nearly two years, gathering credible evidence against these officers. They were allegedly involved in escorting vehicles carrying illegal cigarettes from Zimbabwe in exchange for money. We obtained warrants of arrest for all 19 officers", she said.
Phiyega said the officers will possibly be charged with corruption, defeating the ends of justice and money laundering. She added that the Finance Intelligence Centre has also been incorporated into the investigation.
The team arrested nine officers from Morebeng, six from Maleboho, three stationed at Makhado and an officer attached to the Botlokwa Police Station. The arrested members are accused of demanding bribes from people smuggling cigarettes into that country from Zimbabwe.
"After receiving the bribes, instead of arresting the suspects, the police escorted the vehicle carrying illicit cigarettes, ensuring the suspects evaded arrest by other law-enforcement officers" she said.
Phiyega said that the police would stop at nothing in their efforts to root out corruption in the SAPS. She said that South Africa deserved to be served by professional, law-abiding police officers whose mandate was to create a safe and secure country for all.
"We've said it in the past and we say it again that police officers aren't above the law. We're the custodian of law and order and we can't afford to fail the people who rely on us for safety and security.
"There's no room for corrupt police officers in a democratic South Africa and we will intensify our intelligence-led operations to ensure all police officers with criminal mindsets are removed from the service," she said adding that more arrests could not be ruled out.
The arrested suspects have since been suspended from the SAPS without pay and will appear before various magistrates' courts this week.
The 19 were arrested on Friday morning by a team comprising members of the Crime Intelligence and detectives investigating the involvement of the police in distributing illegal cigarettes. The operation to arrest the 19 officers, which consisted of six warrant officers and 13 constables, started at 4AM on Friday morning.
SAPS National Commissioner General Phiyega made the revelations at Morebeng Police Station (formerly known as Soekmekaar), where nine of the 19 police officers were arrested.
"We've been working on this for nearly two years, gathering credible evidence against these officers. They were allegedly involved in escorting vehicles carrying illegal cigarettes from Zimbabwe in exchange for money. We obtained warrants of arrest for all 19 officers", she said.
Phiyega said the officers will possibly be charged with corruption, defeating the ends of justice and money laundering. She added that the Finance Intelligence Centre has also been incorporated into the investigation.
The team arrested nine officers from Morebeng, six from Maleboho, three stationed at Makhado and an officer attached to the Botlokwa Police Station. The arrested members are accused of demanding bribes from people smuggling cigarettes into that country from Zimbabwe.
"After receiving the bribes, instead of arresting the suspects, the police escorted the vehicle carrying illicit cigarettes, ensuring the suspects evaded arrest by other law-enforcement officers" she said.
Phiyega said that the police would stop at nothing in their efforts to root out corruption in the SAPS. She said that South Africa deserved to be served by professional, law-abiding police officers whose mandate was to create a safe and secure country for all.
"We've said it in the past and we say it again that police officers aren't above the law. We're the custodian of law and order and we can't afford to fail the people who rely on us for safety and security.
"There's no room for corrupt police officers in a democratic South Africa and we will intensify our intelligence-led operations to ensure all police officers with criminal mindsets are removed from the service," she said adding that more arrests could not be ruled out.
The arrested suspects have since been suspended from the SAPS without pay and will appear before various magistrates' courts this week.
Source - chronicle
