News / National
Ferret members in R22k extortion storm
20 Mar 2024 at 06:32hrs | Views
FIVE members of the Ferret team deployed at Beitbridge to fight cross-border crime have been caught up in a bribery and extortion storm.
The team faces charges of demanding money from a Beitbridge man they intercepted carrying mealie-meal suspected to have been smuggled from South Africa.
After having been pressed to pay R40 000, Enoch Nyandoro allegedly agreed to reluctantly part with R22 000.
According to a source, the Ferret team, comprising four men and a woman, intercepted Nyandoro along a road from Shashi while driving an Iveco van.
"He recorded them while they made their prolonged demand and later accepted his R22 000. Initially, they wanted him to pay them R40 000," the source said.
Nyandoro immediately reported the case to the police. The case is being investigated under RRB 4346435 at CID Beitbridge.
The incident occurred on March 4 at around 1530 hours.
The Ferret team at Beitbridge has become notorious for targeting vehicles leaving the border to demand bribes.
Ferret teams were deployed across the country's entry and exit points under Operation No To Cross-Border Crime.
Some bus crews purported that the Ferret teams always demand at least R2 500 from each bus.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could not be reached for comment.
The team faces charges of demanding money from a Beitbridge man they intercepted carrying mealie-meal suspected to have been smuggled from South Africa.
After having been pressed to pay R40 000, Enoch Nyandoro allegedly agreed to reluctantly part with R22 000.
According to a source, the Ferret team, comprising four men and a woman, intercepted Nyandoro along a road from Shashi while driving an Iveco van.
"He recorded them while they made their prolonged demand and later accepted his R22 000. Initially, they wanted him to pay them R40 000," the source said.
The incident occurred on March 4 at around 1530 hours.
The Ferret team at Beitbridge has become notorious for targeting vehicles leaving the border to demand bribes.
Ferret teams were deployed across the country's entry and exit points under Operation No To Cross-Border Crime.
Some bus crews purported that the Ferret teams always demand at least R2 500 from each bus.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could not be reached for comment.
Source - southern eye
