Recently, reports of police impersonators or rogue policemen who have victimised local residents, in Erasmia and surrounding areas and robbed them of their valuables, have been doing the rounds in the community, after claims of several such incidents have now come to the fore.
Police confirmed that incidents have been reported in Centurion, Wespark and Erasmia, where alleged bogus officers confiscated bank cards and stole money.
Captain Colette Weilbach of the Pretoria West SAPS, said five cases were reported, thus far. She appealed to other victims who have not reported similar crimes, to do so.
Two incidents were reported last Monday (March 19), in Erasmia and Centurion. In the first incident, a man on-foot was stopped by an unmarked vehicle on Van Den Heever Street, Erasmia.
“The occupants of the vehicle flashed a police appointment card at the man who was then told that he was a suspect in a murder and robbery case. The bogus cops then instructed him to get into their vehicle and to open his bag and wallet. While the alleged police officers drove with the man in their vehicle, they forced him to disclose his ATM card pin number. The thugs then withdrew an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim's account, at an ATM in Quagga Centre. The victim was released by the bogus officers, after being robbed of all his personal belongings,” Captain Colette said.
Speaking to the Laudium Sun, Captain Colette disclosed a second incident, where another man on-foot, was called by two unknown males in a white Volkswagen at a fueling station in Wierdapark.
“The thugs introduced themselves as police officers by showing the man their police appointment card and told him that he was a suspect in a burglary case at an embassy, where a large amount of dollars were stolen. The alleged police officers made him write a statement, in which he denied the allegations. The second victim was also forced by the alleged police officers to hand over his bank cards, and write down his pin number. The bogus cops then used the victim's card to purchase items at various shops,” the Captain said.
“The alleged police officers were reportedly driving an unmarked white or silver-grey Ford Focus,” she added.
In another related incident, a local woman who preferred to remain anonymous, related her ordeal at the hands of alleged bogus cops. The woman was pulled over by alleged bogus cops on the R55, just past A River Runs Through It venue. When the victim asked for police identification, the ‘cops’ refused to show any ID. The woman then took off, as the situation seemed very suspicious. A family member of the woman, in the passenger seat, managed to capture a picture of the car that pulled them over, through the rearview mirror.
In other incidents, a blue light was visible through the front window and the perpetrators wore police reflector jackets. We urge the community to be vigilant at all times and to immediately report any suspicious activity of this sort to the police,” Captain Colette concluded.
A local resident captured this picture, in her rearview mirror, of bogus cops who had pulled her over.