Three suspects have been arrested for extorting Western Cape businesses, a problem which police have noted is increasing steadily.

The trio of suspects was arrested on Sunday, January 31. According to Western Cape South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel André Traut, police responded when a complaint was laid.

“With extortion of business owners and individuals high on our priority list, members of the Western Cape flying squad reacted to a complaint that suspects had collected extortion money from a victim in Khayelitsha on Saturday,” said Traut in a statement.

“Their swift response enabled them to catch up to the fleeing suspects, who were pursued to an address in Harare. The three suspects, aged between 28 and 35, were arrested in possession of a prohibited 9mm pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition.”

The suspects appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 1 for the possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of ammunition and extortion charges.

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.