Police arrest ten suspects in Central Karoo extortion crackdown

POLICE have not ruled out arresting more suspects, having caught 10, in what they have described as ongoing efforts to dismantle extortion syndicates threatening the economy of the Central Karoo region.

- STAFF REPORTER

Western Cape Organised Crime investigators combined efforts with Central Karoo Flying Squad members and Public Order Policing before descending on a number of premises in Graaff-Reinet where the suspects were arrested on Friday.

The arrests stem from an investigation after a group attended a meeting at a premises at Pastorie Street, Murraysburg, hosted by a wind energy facility construction company on 23 September.

“The group made specific demands and threatened the representative from the construction company with violence. They also threatened to set trucks alight which are transporting wind turbine components to the construction site,” said police spokesperson Christopher Spies.