A pastor and two security guards have been arrested after allegedly extorting money from two shops owned by Chinese nationals in Milnerton, Cape Town, in the Western Cape.
Their arrest comes after eight police officers were arrested on Monday for the same crime.
Provincial spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, said the 51-year-old pastor was arrested on a bus en route to Laingsburg on Wednesday, while the security officer was arrested at the mall where the extortion occurred.
“His colleague, who also performs duties at the mall, was arrested this morning (Thursday) at his Khayelitsha residence,” said Traut.
Traut added that one former police officer was also arrested for the crime and he appeared alongside the eight officers.
“This brings the total number of suspects to 12 in relation to the incident,” he said.
He said the suspects are expected to appear in court on October 22, 2024.
“While the case remains under investigation, the three civilians who were arrested last night and this morning (Thursday) are scheduled to make their court appearance tomorrow (Friday) in Cape Town,” he said.
Meanwhile in KwaZulu-Natal, last week Thursday, police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said three suspects who were wanted for a string of extortion and murder cases in the eThekwini District, were shot and killed in two separate incidents of shoot-outs with police on Wednesday afternoon and the early hours of Thursday.
In the first incident on Wednesday afternoon, police followed up on information regarding the whereabouts of a suspect wanted for at least four extortion cases and another four counts of murder which he allegedly committed in the KwaNdengezi and Mariannhill areas.
“When police arrived at a house at Glebe in Inanda, the suspect fired shots at the police and during the shoot-out, the suspect was shot and fatally wounded. He was found in possession of a 7.65 pistol with four rounds of ammunition,” Netshiunda said.
In the second incident, police operationalised intelligence which uncovered the hideout of two suspects who were also wanted for extortion and murder cases.
“The suspects were cornered at Edabe informal settlement in Tshelimnyama in Mariannhill and the suspects shot at the police from inside the house. In self-defence police returned fire and during the shoot-out, two suspects were shot and fatally wounded. They were found in possession of two firearms,” Netshiunda said.
He said all recovered firearms will be taken for ballistic testing to check if they are linked to other crime scenes.
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