Communities have been urged to report extortion cases to the police as it was being seen as a "get-rich-quick scheme" by criminals.
This was said by Aiden David, eThekwini District chairperson for the South African Police Board, who was commenting after an incident on Thursday where four suspected extortionists were shot dead in a shootout with police in Duffs Road, north of Durban.
Police said the suspects opened fire on police officers who had intercepted their vehicle. The police returned fire and the suspects were killed. Three illegal firearms were recovered at the scene.
David highlighted the alarming rise of extortion in communities and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
He said extortion was being regarded as a "get-rich-quick scheme" involving not only criminals but also some civilians, security personnel, and even corrupt law enforcement officers.
"Everyone who has fear automatically opens the door to becoming a victim of extortion. Disappointingly, some unscrupulous police officials also become professional extortionists," he said.
He urged the community to report any cases of extortion, whether money is being extorted for protection or other reasons, to their nearest police station or community policing forum.
“As a community, we should stop living in fear and start enjoying what our country has to offer us,” he said.
Regarding illegal firearms, he said security personnel and private citizens get robbed and the firearms later resurface when the perpetrators of crime are caught.
He emphasised that criminals have become increasingly reckless and desperate to obtain firearms.
“They have nothing to lose. They pounce on people to obtain a firearm. Every firearm is a paycheck for criminals nowadays.”