HAWKS RAID PRISON FOLLOWING INMATES' INVOLVEMENT IN AN EXTORTION SCHEME

By: Staff Reporter

Members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein, assisted by the prison Emergency Support Team, conducted a search-and-seizure operation inside the cells at Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Cullinan, Gauteng.

The operation is a result of a complaint involving a WhatsApp extortion scheme in which a Hawks police official was impersonated.

In April 2025, an Advocate from the NPA reported to the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation in Bloemfontein that an attorney representing an accused person had raised concerns about these messages.

The accused’s wife allegedly received a WhatsApp message from someone introducing themselves as a police officer, claiming to be working with the state prosecutor handling the case.

The suspect claimed to have influence over an active criminal matter and offered to have the trial against an accused person terminated in exchange for a payment of R200 000.

The Hawks initiated an investigation, which traced the origin of the messages to Zonderwater Correctional Services.

This led to the operation targeting about eight inmates believed to be linked to the extortion scheme.

During the search, officers recovered cellphones, notebooks, and documents. 

The investigation into this matter continues