11 KZN police officers linked to extortion evidence netted, reveals Masemola

JOHANNESBURG - National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says they’ve identified and arrested some police officers linked to the rising cases of extortion across the country.

During a media briefing in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday, Masemola revealed that extortion-related incidents were on the rise in Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, as well as in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.

Masemola said efforts to stop extortion were continuing and if South African Police Service (SAPS) members were found to be linked to the crimes, they would be prosecuted and treated as criminals.

“The DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] and other combat teams in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested some of our police members in that province where they were extorting R100,000 from a businessman. Eleven members and one civilian were arrested. As long as they do extortion or they do crime, we will treat them like criminals.”

Police said an action plan to curb the rise in extortion-related crime had been devised and was being implemented. 

Masemola said a manhunt had been instituted to nab extortionists terrorising civilians, and that so far, 14 had been shot and killed by police.

He called on community members to report criminals and ensure that they were behind bars.

“The SAPS is working hard to bring an end to this scourge of extortion and related crimes. We need the cooperation of the community to assist us to give us those that are doing this within the communities. We do have an action plan to deal with extortion in the various provinces.”