Hawks Nab 13 Officers in Gauteng Over Corruption and Extortion Allegations

• Thirteen law enforcement officers have been arrested in Gauteng in connection with corruption, extortion and trespassing
• The arrests follow an incident in Crown Mines, where officers allegedly threatened a warehouse owner with arrest
• In a separate case, four more officers have been summoned to court over a 2024 incident involving alleged theft

GAUTENG — Police efforts to root out corruption and root out “bad apples” within their ranks have led to the arrest of 13 law enforcement officers in Gauteng over allegations of extortion, corruption and trespassing.

The arrests were carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, 23 April 2026, by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit based in Johannesburg. The suspects are facing charges of corruption, extortion and trespassing.

What happened?

According to reports, the case stems from an incident on 22 April 2026, when three suspects allegedly arrived at a warehouse in Crown Mines, followed by six Metro police officers. The group reportedly claimed they intended to search the premises.

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During the search, officers allegedly found a box of hair dye and claimed it had expired. One of the officers then reportedly threatened the complainant with arrest unless a payment was made.

The complainant alerted the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit, which responded to the scene and arrested all nine suspects.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the officers conducted the search outside their jurisdiction. It was also established that four of the officers were off duty at the time of the incident.

Nine officers are expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 24 April 2026.

See the X post about the arrest:

Second case of police arrests

In a separate, unrelated case, four additional law enforcement officers were issued with notices to appear in court following an intensive investigation into a 2024 incident.

It is alleged that on 14 August 2024, a complainant received a call informing him that police officers were at his gate. Upon arrival, he reportedly found two marked police vehicles, along with a minibus and a sedan carrying six occupants.

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One of the officers allegedly introduced himself and requested entry to conduct a search, which the complainant allowed. The officer then allegedly demanded money, which was handed over before the group left the scene.

The complainant later attempted to report the matter at a police station but was not assisted. As he was leaving, he reportedly spotted the same minibus parked near a court building. When he approached it, the vehicle sped off.

The case was subsequently reported to the Vaal Serious Corruption Investigation unit. Following extensive investigations, summons were issued for the suspects to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on 22 June 2026, where they will face charges of theft.

Authorities have indicated that further arrests are expected as investigations continue.

Gauteng Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, commended the investigating team for their work.

“Gauteng Serious Corruption will root out corruption and ensure that law enforcement officers are held accountable. The DPCI will deal with corruption without fear, favour or prejudice,” he said.

3 Articles on Police officers arrested

• Briefly News reported that an Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police official was arrested amid ongoing corruption investigations. This, after suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi was arrested on fraud and corruption charges on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
• A South African Police Service (SAPS) captain was arrested for allegedly siphoning millions from the force by manipulating the financial system. According to eNCA, the Anti-Corruption Unit apprehended him after an investigation into transactions in the police’s Police Security Services.
• 10 Metro Police Officers and South African Police Service officers were arrested in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, on 4 August 2025. The incident happened during a raid the Tactical Response Team conducted. They were arrested in Edenvale and charged with theft and corruption.

Source: Briefly News