Three Ekurhuleni metro cops nabbed for cigarette theft
Three Ekurhuleni metro police officers have been arrested for theft of cigarettes worth R25 000 at a supermarket in Benoni.
In July last year, the officers allegedly went on a search operation at the supermarket in Rynfield suburb and confiscated the boxes from a shopkeeper who was later arrested.
The officers, who were attached to the Boksburg Specialised Unit of Truck Hijackings, were arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on Friday.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping says the suspects allegedly also robbed the detainee R200 and his cell phone before setting him free.
"They loaded the cigarettes in one of the metro police vans while the employee was taken into another metro police car, they allegedly disconnected the surveillance camera inside the shop. The officers then drove to Northmead with the supermarket employee under the pretext that he was arrested.
"The officers booked two boxes of cigarettes at the Benoni Police Station and their warning statements indicated that the goods were found at an unknown property and the owner was also unknown, because he (suspect) ran away when he saw them."
Suping says the officers also failed to open a case.
They are expected to appear in court soon facing charges of theft kidnapping, extortion and defeating the ends of justice.
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