A police constable was arrested last week after he was found ferrying illegal Zimbabwean cigarettes in his vehicle.
The incident occurred on July 13 while members from the Tshamatumbu police station, east of Thohoyandou, were busy with stop-and-search operations in the station area. They noticed a vehicle coming towards them, but it suddenly stopped and made a u-turn. The police gave chase and managed to stop the vehicle.
It is alleged that the occupant inside told them that he was a police official and that is was not necessary for them to search his vehicle. They did so anyway and discovered that he was carrying illegal Zimbabwe cigarettes to the value of about R20 000. It was also confirmed that he was indeed a police official, a constable stationed at Musina police station.
The member was taken to Tshamatumbu, where he managed to grab the firearm of another police official and attempted to escape. He was shot in the leg and arrested. The member was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and discharged. The official was scheduled to appear in court later last week. In the meantime, investigations are continuing.
