Seven suspects are expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court after a major police crackdown on alleged extortion in the long-distance bus industry. According to Cape Town ETC, the arrests follow a four-year investigation led by the South African Police Service into the disruption of bus services across multiple provinces.

The suspects include six men and one woman aged between 35 and 65. They were arrested on Friday and Saturday in Cape Town, Matatiele, and Nelspruit during a coordinated operation. SAPS units involved included Western Cape Serious Violent and Organised Crime detectives, Crime Intelligence, the Special Task Force, the Tactical Response Team and officials from the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Financial Intelligence Centre and the National Prosecuting Authority.

Police allege the group formed part of a criminal network that targeted major long-distance bus operators between 2021 and 2023. SAPS said the suspects allegedly used intimidation and extortion to force operators to pay large sums of money in exchange for protection and permission to operate safely on licensed routes.

According to police, the pressure placed on businesses was so severe that some operators either shut down or reduced their services. That, in turn, affected commuters by cutting travel options. Investigators also allegedly found signs of collusion involving people with financial interests in the transport sector, with bus companies being told how many trips they could run and how many passengers they could carry.

More Than 100 Charges on the Table

The suspects are facing about 125 charges. These include intimidation, extortion, money laundering, interference with essential infrastructure and managing a criminal enterprise under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Police estimate the value of the alleged criminal activity runs into hundreds of millions of rand. Cape Town ETC reported the crackdown as part of an alleged bus extortion network worth more than R100 million.