A police sergeant was arrested for allegedly soliciting money from a drug dealer in Umbilo, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. The officer was arrested with two others in an operation intended to fight crime in the area.
Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner witnessed first-hand how badly corruption has infiltrated the South African Police Services (SAPS) when he was part of a team that caught a senior police sergeant allegedly soliciting a bribe on Friday.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Nxobile Gwala, Mkhwananzi took part in a police operation to stabilise crime in Umbilo, Durban.
“While the team was busy with their operations, they noticed something suspicious going on between occupants of a police vehicle from Durban Central and a civilian male outside a block of flats on Noble Road. An unknown male was seen leaning through the window, into the front passenger seat of the police vehicle, handing something over to the passenger.”
She said the tea then rushed to towards the vehicle. When the 38-year-old police sergents saw them rushing over he allegedly threw something out of the window. He was confronted and arrested for defeating the ends of justice. An amount of R200 was retrieved from the drain, said Gwala.
“The man who handed the money to the police was subsequently caught with drugs. The civilian was ordered to take the operational team to his apartment where they found a second man. The flat was searched and police found pieces of cocaine and R7000 cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime.”
Both men aged 52, were arrested for being in possession of drugs. The three suspects are expected to appear in the Durban magistrate’s court on Monday.
I accompanied those hard-working members last nigh at a show of support and to boost the morale of our members throughout the province and the country. The arrests, especially that of the police officer, are a giant leap for those hard-working police officers trying to rid our ranks of corrupt elements,” said Mkhwanazi.
Source: News24, The South African, Times Live, image from Times Live: Elvis Ntombela