Four people, including a police constable, have been arrested for allegedly extorting money from more than 50 small business owners in the Stellenbosch area.
Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the arrests followed a coordinated response to extortion-related crime affecting businesses in the area.
The suspects were arrested on Sunday night during an operation executed in Bellville.
Father, sons and businessman implicated
Police said the group includes a father and his two sons from Nyanga. One of the sons is a police constable.
A Somali businessman was also arrested.
According to police, the alleged scheme targeted more than 50 Somali and Ethiopian entrepreneurs operating in Khayamandi and Stellenbosch.
The allegations against the four suspects have not yet been tested in court.
Cash allegedly collected from shopkeepers
Potelwa said investigators believe the businessman helped collect specified amounts of money from shopkeepers on set dates during the month.
The money was allegedly collected on behalf of the other suspects, who police believe received substantial amounts of cash on a regular basis.
Authorities have not disclosed how much individual shopkeepers were allegedly required to pay or how long the suspected operation had been running.
R120,000 seized during arrests
Police confiscated R120,000 in cash and several cellphones during the takedown operation.
The operation was led by provincial serious violent crime detectives.
Crime Intelligence, the police drone unit, the National Prosecuting Authority, City of Cape Town security officials and the Financial Intelligence Centre also assisted investigators.
The arrests come as law-enforcement agencies continue targeting extortion networks affecting businesses in the Western Cape.
SAPS has previously identified extortion as a priority crime in the province, with specialist teams deployed to investigate protection rackets targeting businesses, including spaza shops.
Police have not yet provided further details about the suspects’ court appearances in the source report.
The investigation into the alleged Stellenbosch and Khayamandi extortion operation is continuing.