Hawks arrest cop who's on stress leave

2011-12-11 22:42

Johannesburg - Two people, including a policewoman who has been on stress leave for three years, have been arrested in Cape Town for selling unlicensed ammunition, the Hawks said on Sunday.

Detectives were recently informed about a man apparently selling police uniforms and ammunition to the public, said Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela.

"A sting operation...involving the Hawks was carried out in which an agent bought the items from a police captain's associate."

Polela said that the man delivered a small quantity of ammunition of various calibres to the undercover agent at a car park.

The man was paid R4 000 - in marked notes - for the ammunition.

Subsequently the police were able to arrest the man and recover the marked notes in his possession.

Once arrested, the man told police he got his wares from a female police captain.

Police then went to the captain's flat in Palm Springs.

Unlicensed ammunition and police uniforms were found when police searched her home.

Exhibits, police documents 

"She was selling these uniforms and ammunition to gangsters or whoever was willing to pay the price for this," said Polela.

A number of forensic bags containing what appeared to be exhibits and various police documents were also found in her flat and seized by police.

Polela said the 20-year-old daughter of the captain was in the flat at the time with two friends.

He said that the two friends, aged 29 and 36, were both "known gangsters from Kensington".

The police captain and her associate now face charges of dealing in unlicensed ammunition and corruption.

They are due to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Polela said that the captain worked with the Hawks, but had been on stress leave for the last three years.

- SAPA