A Western Cape police sergeant has been arrested after allegedly accepting cash to smuggle dagga and tobacco into holding cells at the Mitchells Plain police station.
The officer, who is attached to Mitchells Plain SAPS, was arrested on Sunday, 16 August during a sting operation carried out by the police Anti-Corruption Unit.
Sergeant caught during sting operation
According to provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg, the sergeant allegedly accepted money in exchange for taking dagga and tobacco into the police station’s holding cells.
Police say the officer was caught in the act during the operation.
The cash allegedly accepted by the officer was found in his possession. Police also confiscated the contraband from inside the holding cells.
The amount of money allegedly paid to the sergeant was not disclosed.
Twigg said members of the Anti-Corruption Unit arrested the officer after he allegedly accepted the cash to bring the prohibited items into the cells.
Officer expected in court
The arrested sergeant is expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 18 August.
The arrest means the officer will now face the justice system while being accused of abusing the same position of authority entrusted to him as a member of SAPS.
Police have not released the sergeant’s name in the information made public so far.
Western Cape police boss issues warning
Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Sizakhele Dyantyi has responded to the arrest with a warning to police officers involved in corrupt activities.
Dyantyi said Western Cape police would take a zero-tolerance approach towards officers who accept bribes or abuse their positions.
The commissioner’s warning follows the arrest as police continue their internal efforts to identify alleged corruption within the service.
The case now moves to court, where further details surrounding the allegations against the sergeant may emerge.
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