Police Minister, Bheki Cele, is seeking urgent talks with liquor retailers following a spate of robberies at outlets across the country during the covid19 lockdown.
More, concerning for the Minister was the arrest of at least four SAPS members, two in the Western Cape and two in Mpumalanga, in some of the liquor-related crimes.
“Two Warrant Officers from the Delft FCS Unit in the Western Cape were arrested together with a liquor store manager and a cashier in Strand, after police on Thursday responded to a tip-off and pounced on the suspects inside the store, buying liquor that was allegedly going to be resold illegally elsewhere,” he said.
Cele said in Mpumalanga, two members stationed at SAPS Pienaar were arrested on Friday night, 10 April 2020 for defeating the ends of justice.
This, after the state vehicle they were driving, was stopped and found to have been illegally escorting three bakkies, each loaded to capacity with liquor.
He said in line with the SAPS Anti-Corruption Strategy, the National Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, has sanctioned urgent departmental investigations into the two incidents.
Four suspects were arrested in Nelson Mandela Bay after attempting to break-in to a liquor outlet in Walmer on Thursday night.
Minister Cele has also called for an urgent meeting between SAPS management and liquor retailers to address this problem.
