Africa-Press – South-Africa. Durban – A 39-year-old sergeant from Durban Central SAPS was caught during an operation for allegedly soliciting R200 from a drug dealer on Noble Road in Umbilo on Saturday.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said an SAPS team, joined by KZN provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, was conducting an operation to stabilise crime in the Umbilo area when they noticed something suspicious.
Gwala said while the team was busy with their operations on Noble Road, they noticed something suspicious going on in between occupants in a police vehicle from Durban Central and a civilian male outside a block of flats.
The team continued to observe the interaction, she said.
“An male was seen leaning through the window of the front passenger seat of the police vehicle, handing something over to the passenger. The team rushed toward the said police vehicle but upon seeing the team approaching, the member in the passenger seat threw something out through the window,” she said.
Gwala said members of the team retrieved R200 from the drain, which is what the officer is suspected to have been thrown out the window.
“The police officer, a 39-year-old sergeant, was confronted and placed under arrest for corruption and defeating the ends of justice,” she said.
The man who handed over the money was carrying drugs and he 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 R7 000 in cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime. Two men, aged 52, were placed under arrest for possession of drugs,” she said.
Mkhwanazi said SAPS often see videos, pictures or receive information of police officers engaging in such criminal activities.
In most cases, he said, police are unfortunately never able to prove that such police officers are actually engaged in criminal activities.
“I accompanied those hard-working members in a show of support and to boost the morale of our hard-working members throughout the province as well as the country. And these arrests, especially that of the police officer, is a giant leap for those hard-working police officers to rid our ranks of corrupt elements,” added Mkhwanazi.
Gwala said it is very unlikely that the other two constables who were in the company of the arrested sergeant will go unpunished.
“They are likely to answer for their actions or omissions within the SAPS departmental processes,” she said.
Police said all the three suspects will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
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