By Everson Luhanga
- Three officers forced a woman and her brother at gunpoint into a BMW in the Johannesburg CBD on 20 February.
- The officers drove the victims to Jeppe police station, took R83,300 meant for funeral contributions in Zimbabwe and released them.
Three people approached a woman and her brother at the corner of Commissioner and Von Brandis streets in the Johannesburg central business district on Friday, 20 February 2026. Two of them were men and one was a woman. All three identified themselves as police officers.
They forced the pair into a white BMW 1 series at gunpoint and drove them to the basement parking area of Jeppe police station.
At the station, the officers forced the woman to hand over R83,300 in cash. The money was meant for funeral contributions in Zimbabwe.
After taking the cash, the officers drove the pair to the Carlton Centre and dropped them off.
The incident was reported at Johannesburg Central police station. On Saturday, 21 February, the victims also went to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) internal affairs unit. While the woman was giving her statement, one of the officers walked into the office. She identified him on the spot.
The JMPD arrested all three officers. Spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said: “The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department confirms the arrest of three of our members following a serious incident involving an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping.”
Fihla said the department has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and criminal activity within its ranks.
“The department views these allegations in the most serious light, as they represent a gross betrayal of the badge and the public trust,” he said.
Investigations are continuing.
Pictured above: Police lights.
Image source: File
