THREE men have been bust for impersonating Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers.
The male suspects, aged 34, 41 and 45, were arrested by members of Gauteng Traffic Police along the R562 in Midrand on Wednesday morning, 26 October.
Provincial Traffic Police spokesman Sello Maremane said the suspects offered a R20 000 bribe to the police.
Maremane said: “The police were conducting a routine roadside check when they noticed a suspicious white Nissan NP 300 approaching them.
He said: “The officers immediately stopped and noticed that it was suspicious. The officers asked the occupants to step out of the vehicle to enable them to search them together with their car.”
Maremane said the officers noticed an EMPD uniform worn by a suspect.
“The officers interrogated the suspects and established that they were not officers and the suspects offered to bribe the officers to evade arrest,” said Maremane.
The suspects are currently detained at Midrand police station.
Two sets of EMPD uniforms were recovered, including jammers for signals with 10 aerials and a car battery, a panga, and a 9mm firearm among other items.
The suspects are facing charges relating to unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, impersonating a law enforcement officer, corruption and possession of the jammers.
“The Gauteng Traffic Police management commend the officers for acting swiftly to intercept the suspects and stopping them in their tracks. The Gauteng Traffic Police would like to caution everyone that it is unlawful to impersonate a law enforcement officer.
“We would like to urge the Criminal Justice System to impose a harsher sentence against these suspects as they tarnish the reputation of hard-working law enforcement officers in the province,” added Maremane.
