WHEN lawbreakers are jailed, one would expect them to stop doing crime while behind bars.
But this was not the case with inmates from Odi and Baviaanspoort correctional centres in Tshwane.
Hawks spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase said an operation was executed in the centres on Thursday, 11 August, aimed at conducting a cybercrime search and seizure.
And as a results, cops executed warrants of arrest to four inmates on charges including extortion, impersonation of a police officer, money laundering, forgery and uttering.
“This follows an investigation into corrupt officers allegedly extorting money from male victims who had sought service of a clandestine online escort agency. They would later be informed by someone, purporting to be an officer, that cases of rape and fraud were opened against them as they used fake money to pay sex workers. A fake warrant of arrest would then be presented through WhatsApp, where they would demand payment to ensure that the police, along with the prosecutor, make the cases disappear,” Nkwalase said in a statement.
He added that the investigation revealed that a syndicate of prisoners with cellphones allegedly created profiles of cops using names and photos from social media profiles of unsuspecting officers. They further sourced a call log from an online base escort agency to contact the victims who paid them in fear of prosecution. Between May and August, amounts of R760 000 and R560 000 had been paid into two separate accounts provided to the victims,” Nkwalase said.
During the raid, multiple smartphones were found on each of the four suspects.
Nkwalase said 36 cellphones, 19 chargers and other accessories were also found from other inmates in the same cells, and seized.
“The four inmates, aged between 26 and 32, will appear in Tshwane Magistrates Court on Monday, 15 August, and more arrests are imminent,” Nkwalase said.
Anyone with information or who might have fallen prey to extortion is urged to contact Captain Jacques Loock on 082 778 5626.
