Five East London police officials have been arrested for allegedly looting a delivery truck that was involved in a crash between East London and Macleantown on Tuesday.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said the five police officers were attached to Beacon Bay Police station and were detained after a tip-off.
Mulaudzi said that they appeared in the East London Magistrate's court on Thursday for corruption and theft.
“The five police officers together with a sixth accomplice, a taxi driver, allegedly conspired and looted a truck which was involved in an accident between East London and Macleantown on Tuesday afternoon,” he said.
“The officers and the taxi driver allegedly helped themselves to perishable goods from the truck using a police vehicle as well as the taxi.”
The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit arrested Constables Azola Ndongeni, 33, Mkolisi Matthews Gola, 38, Luthando Klaas, 34, Siyabonga Freddie, 36, Siseko Dayimani, 33, and taxi driver, Xolani Valantiya, 43, shortly after the incident.
“Members also manage to seize a number boxes at various places in East London including at the local police quarters,” he added.
After appearing in court, all six were granted R1000 bail and warned to appear in the same court on 20 September 2018.
National Hawks boss Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya said that they would continue their efforts to ensure that the police remains a clean and efficient service.
“We will continue to confront any form of corruption and criminality in the SAPS precisely because we are of the firm belief that both forms of criminal behaviour have no place in our existence.
“The SAPS has always adopted a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring a corrupt - free service that seeks to provide an efficient and quality service to all our communities. While I am outraged at the news of the five police officers, I am similarly excited that they were swiftly brought to book by their own colleagues,” he added.