Three suspects aged between 33 and 51, allegedly impersonating Hawks investigators, have been arrested in an undercover operation.
The suspects, one of whom has been posing as a Major General, were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit at a hideout in Midrand, just outside Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
DPCI members recently received a complaint from a prominent businessman about a person pretending to be a Hawks Major General, soliciting money to have a case that he is allegedly implicated, disappear.
The National Head of the DPCI, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, described the arrest as a breakthrough in policing, adding that the disturbing reports of so called unprofessional Hawks officers had been muddying the image of the police for some time.
“The DPCI will not call you and demand money. We urge people to report any potential scam attempts to their local police stations where it can be shared with law enforcement,” said Lieutenant General Lebeya.