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FILE | Front bus tyres.
Seven suspects arrested in a multi-province crackdown on organised crime linked to the long-distance bus industry are set to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Western Cape Police Spokesperson Novela Potelwa says the arrests follow a lengthy investigation and form part of broader efforts to tackle criminal networks in the transport sector.
She says the suspects, apprehended in Cape Town, Matatiele and Mbombela are believed to have intimidated and extorted long-distance bus operators, in some cases forcing businesses to scale down or close entirely.
Potelwa says, “The arrests are linked to an expansive organised crime project investigation that started four years ago. The investigation, which is led by Western Cape specialist detectives probed the disruption of the long-distance bus service. Suspects face, among others, charges relating to intimidation, extortion, money laundering, as well as contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.”
-Reporting by Lerato Dlalisa.
