Cop nabbed after targeting man at airport
POLICE have arrested one of their own who was found with money he is alleged to have robbed from a foreigner at OR Tambo International Airport.
The 33-year-old detective constable, who is stationed at Kempton Park police station, is accused of colluding with three others to rob the Senegalese man and dumping him in the veld.
According to the SAPS’s Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the Senegalese man owns a shop in Pretoria and arrived at the airport to catch a flight to Hong Kong, where he was to buy stock for his business.
Mohlala said the man changed some of his money into US dollars before boarding the flight. Around 3pm, he was on his way to the check-in point when he was stopped by two men.
“One of the males identified himself as a police officer stationed at crime intelligence, Kempton Park. The police officer informed him that he suspected that he was carrying drugs and wanted to search him at the police station in Kempton Park.”
Mohlala said one of the men was indeed a police officer, even though he was not wearing a uniform at the time of the robbery.
“The officer is alleged to have showed his appointment card to the victim before he and an accomplice took him outside to a white Toyota Etios that was parked in the drop-off zone with two men inside,” he added.
“They then left the airport, driving on the R21 to the veld in Pomona, where they robbed him of all his belongings, which included the $35 000; R11 000; luggage containing clothes; passport, cellphone and iPad, and left him there.
“Fortunately a passer-by noticed the victim and assisted him to the airport police station, where a case was opened. The police were informed and a speedy investigation was pursued by the detective task team,” Mohlala said.
He added that during the investigation, the suspect was identified through CCTV footage and swiftly arrested on Friday.
Mohlala did not say how much money was found in his possession but confirmed that the car that was used during the robbery belonged to the state.
Asked whether the robbery would make people wary of being stopped by the police while they do crime prevention work, Mohlala said police officers were guided by the code of conduct, which dictated how they should behave.
“It’s not a matter of us guarding them all the time. We can’t say people should be worried.
“They should be happy that we were able to arrest him so quickly.”