Johannesburg - Fraudulent security companies had better be on the lookout, as the Limpopo police will be coming for them to restore order in the province.
Through Operation “Vhuyisa Mulayo na Vhudziki” (restore order), the provincial police have kicked off plans to root out the possible existence of security companies operating fraudulently in the province.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, said the operation came after several complaints of corruption and extortion by the companies, in which business communities were allegedly targeted and forced to part with large amounts of money.
Hadebe said the task team included various police units such as the Crime Intelligence, Tactical Response Team, Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) Law Enforcement, the Firearm Liquor and Second-Hand Goods (FLASH) national, and provincial police.
These teams would, according to the police, focus on verification and the validity of the security companies operating in the area.
The teams, he said, had already commenced the investigation of these activities in various parts of the province, which would come as a big relief to the business people who had been targeted for some time and lost fortunes as a result.
So far, a total of four security companies have been visited, and two were found to be operating not in line with the PSIRA Act in that they were operating without an office or fixed structure.
Police also recovered two firearms for further investigation.
The police commissioner further explained that the province had for some time also experienced incidents of kidnapping, where large amounts of ransom were demanded to guarantee the safe return of a loved one.
Anyone who might have been exposed or who might have had experience of being extorted of large sums of money by any means is urged to report to the police on Crime Stop number 08600 10111, to the nearest police station, or use the MySAPS app.
The Star