10 metro police and SAPS officers arrested in Edenvale to appear in court
Ten police officers from the SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) are due to appear in the Germiston Magistrate's Court today, following their arrest yesterday at the Edenvale Police Station.
Bedfordview and Edenvale News reports that the officers were taken into custody while on duty. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), they face charges of corruption and theft.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping says the arrests are linked to a multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation that took place on June 4 in Edenvale, initiated by the premier of Gauteng.
During the operation, the officers allegedly raided a shop, confiscated cigarettes, and took R35 000 in cash along with three packs of headache tablets (Panados). The goods were estimated at R5 000.
'They arrested the cashier for trading in illicit cigarettes and the other employee for violating immigration rules,' Suping says.
However, it is alleged that not all the confiscated items were recorded in the police occurrence book. The shop manager later disputed the quantity and type of goods that were logged.
All the arrested officers are constables, except for one sergeant. They are currently detained at Germiston Police Station.
National reports indicate that six of the arrested officers are from the EMPD, while the remaining four are SAPS members stationed at Tsakane Police Station.
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