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Crime Reporter
FOUR more people, including a conductor, have been arrested in separate incidents in Bulawayo and Plumtree on allegations of bribing police officers at roadblocks.
These people offered the bribes in an attempt to induce the officers to release them after they had been arrested for various traffic offences.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they will continue arresting all those involved in such practices and take them to court.
“On June 16, 2022, police in Plumtree arrested three people in connection with bribery at a roadblock at the 98km peg along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road,” he said.
“The suspects were travelling in a Lexus motor vehicle with foreign number plates and were arrested for smuggling 85 cellphones, as well as 69 laptops. One of the suspects offered the police P650 bribe so that they could evade arrest.”
Similarly, police in Bulawayo arrested a conductor, Kenroad Moyo (27) for bribery after he offered the police R100 cash so that the driver of an Iveco vehicle he was travelling on would not be arrested for offloading passengers at an undesignated point along 12th Avenue in the city.
Last week, six motorists were arrested in separate incidents in Bulawayo on allegations of bribing police at a roadblock after being arrested for various traffic offences.
The six, who will appear in court soon, were arrested at a roadblock along Harare-Bulawayo Road near Mahatshula turn-off. They had offered to bribe the officers with various amounts ranging between US$2 and US$4 and R100, to evade arrests.
Recently, police also turned down bribe offers from 23 motorists they had nabbed for traffic offences at a roadblock in Norton and arrested them for an additional crime of bribery.
The four hours blitz at Norton along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway ran from 10am to 2pm and the motorists offered bribes ranging from US$2 to US$10.
The 23 are yet to appear in court.
Police in Gwanda also arrested Prince Sibanda (27) and Abednico Ndlovu (31) for bribery.
The two, who are pirate taxi operators (mushikashika) were arrested separately after trying to offer R100 bribe, each, to traffic police officers.
On June 6, members of the National Taskforce deployed in Beitbridge under operation “No to cross border crimes,” also arrested Evidence Chionyere (37) for bribery at Bubi roadblock along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.
The suspect approached the roadblock driving a Toyota Hilux vehicle with foreign number plates and offered to pay the police R70 bribe to evade arrest for insecure load, as well as having an invalid Temporary Import Permit.
Last month, a 27-year-old woman was arrested on allegations of trying to bribe police officers with R100 at a roadblock along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, while another man was nabbed for smuggling a Toyota Hilux Double cab vehicle and a Toyota Hilux Single Cab vehicle in Plumtree, as police intensify their operation against border crimes and smuggling.
Recently, police in Beitbridge also arrested 12 bus conductors for allegedly trying to bribe officers at a roadblock in Bubi, after being found in possession of smuggled goods.
Their buses were intercepted along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road laden with goods smuggled from South Africa.
The conductors were arrested by the National Security Taskforce attached to an operation code-named “No to cross border crimes”, while their buses were carrying goods believed to have been smuggled into the country.
Online Reporter