Rise in fake cop robberies, KZN police urge vigilance

THE KwaZulu-Natal police have raised the alarm about criminals impersonating police officers to carry out house robberies and other crimes.

- SIPHESIHLE BUTHELEZI

The warning comes from the Office of the Provincial Commissioner following incidents in KwaMashu, with authorities urging the public to remain vigilant and verify the identity of anyone claiming to be part of the SAPS.

The police revealed that a syndicate has been entering homes under the pretence of searching for firearms.

“The suspects usually wear different pieces of police uniform, such as a bulletproof vest, a police cap, a mask, or a raincoat. Once they are inside the premises, they point firearms at the occupants, while others ransack the house before fleeing,” police said.

Police said that in a recent incident in KwaMashu, two men who claimed to be detectives held a 36-year-old woman at gunpoint inside her home. “She was forced to open all the rooms of her house before they were all locked in the master bedroom,’ the police reported. “Four cellphones and cash were taken before the suspects fled the scene.”