GAUTENG Traffic police have warned motorists on bogus cops.
According to Gauteng Traffic police spokesman Sello Maremane, some criminals pretend to be traffic police officers to kidnap, rob, cause harm and hijack motorists.
He said in a recent case, a doctor was allegedly hijacked and robbed of his belongings while driving on the N3 near Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni on Saturday, 24 February.
He said the victim was stopped by five men driving a white van with blue lights and three were wearing police uniform.
He said a case of impersonating a police officer has been opened at Vosloorus cop shop and the matter is under investigation.
Maremane said this is one of the trends used by hijackers to mislead motorists into falling victim to kidnappings and hijackings.
"Motorists should beware of criminals who drive around in vehicles with blue lights which are illegally installed with the motive to hijack, rob people and possibly cause them harm,” said Maremane.
He said every traffic officer must have an appointment certificate that identifies who they are and the authority that has appointed them.
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“A member of the public has the right to demand to see such a certificate, failure to produce such a certificate must be a red flag for the motorist. Motorists are also allowed to drive off if the certificate is not shown to them.
"It's also important to note that the National Road Traffic Act dictates that a traffic officer must have a name tag while stopping vehicles. The branding of the vehicle can be used to identify the organisation’s identity even if it is not compulsory for officers to use branded vehicles,” said Maremane.
Maremane said if motorists feel unsafe while being stopped by officials, they may drive to the nearest police station.
“The Gauteng Traffic police will intensify visibility in all hotspot areas. Furthermore, those who are found guilty of committing a crime will be charged and face the full might of the law," he said.
Police urge motorists and the public to report such criminal activities to the cops on 0800 701 701.
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