Two police officers, aged 33 and 37, appeared in the Somerset West Magistrates’ Court on Monday 4 March, facing charges of hijacking and theft.
The suspected corrupt cop pair’s court appearance is in relation to an incident that took place on 10 August 2022 when a truck transporting abalone worth an estimated R500 000 from Buffelsjag abalone farm, Hermanus, to Cape Town International Airport for exportation was pulled over by two marked police vehicles around 23:58. As the truck with two crew members approached the Baden Powell off-ramp on the N2, it was approached from the back by the two marked police vehicles with sirens and flashing blue lights. The driver of the truck stopped next to the road.
The occupants of the police vehicles, who were all dressed in police uniform, confronted the driver and crew member of the truck. Both the crew members were requested to hand their cellphones over to the police officers. Two firearms, a rifle and handgun were taken from the possession of the one crew member of the truck.
The driver was put in the back of one of the police vehicles while his passengers were placed in the back of the other police vehicle and driven away from the scene.
The crew of the truck were later released in a bushy area in Mitchell’s Plain while the truck was recovered abandoned at Wolfgat Nature Reserve, with the entire cargo of abalone removed.
A hijacking case was opened and investigated by the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes, Provincial Investigations Unit. Two marked police vehicles used by members of Operation Restore were identified as the vehicles involved in pulling the truck over. Both vehicles’ aerial vehicle location (AVL’s) placed the vehicles at the different crime scenes.
The drivers were identified and their cellphone records were obtained. These placed them both at or near the crime scenes. It was also established they were off-duty at the time of the incident, but authorised to be in possession of the marked police vehicles.
This Friday (1 March), the SVC investigation team, assisted by Crime Intelligence, carried out a planned Take Down Operation. The team arrested one officer at Sea Point police and the other officer at the Anti-Gang Unit in Faure.
The accused, Samuel Batyashe and Akhona Betana are expected to make their next court appearnace on Monday 11 March.
