Three people, aged between 33 and 51, have been arrested for impersonating members of the elite Hawks unit.
“The suspects, one of whom has been posing as a Major General, were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit at a hideout in Midrand, just outside Johannesburg, on Wednesday,” said Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.
“Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [Hawks] members recently received a complaint from a prominent businessman about a person pretending to be a Hawks Major General, soliciting money to have a case that he is allegedly implicated, disappear.”
Mulaudzi said an investigation was launched, and it emerged that there was no such Major General within the Hawks’ rank and file.
On Wednesday afternoon, the three suspects were lured into a police trap and arrested. Various items were seized.
The National Head of the DPCI, Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya,says: “We have been receiving numerous complaints of scams by so-called Hawks members targeting high profile people in the country both in government and in private business demanding cash to throw away cases,” said Lebeya.
“We believe there is a syndicate that is using false Hawks credentials to rob and scam people and investigations are under way to locate the masterminds behind this criminal conduct. The DPCI will not call you and demand money.
“We urge people to report any potential scam attempts to their local police stations where it can be shared with law enforcement.”
The trio is expected to appear in the Midrand Magistrates’ Court on Friday, facing charges of corruption and extortion.