Community Safety
With reference to section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1997):
(1)(a) What is defined as a “trap” for informants to uncover and investigate operations in terms of section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977, in relation to illegal drug trading, (b) what amount has been spent on this in the (i) 2017/18, (ii) 2018/19 and (iii) 2019/20 financial years and (c) what are the rewards offered to informants;
(2) whether traps refer to informants as individuals; if so, how many of the traps have contributed to (a) arrests, (b) convictions and (c) the closure of drug houses?
1) (a) A trap is a person who, with a view to securing the conviction of another, proposes certain criminal conduct to him, and himself ostensibly takes part therein. In other words he creates the occasion for someone else to commit the offence (State v Malinga & others 1963 /1) SA 692 (A)l
(b) (i) R 116 960
(ii) R 150 670
(iii) R112 470
(c) Rewards offered to police buyers ("traps") differ from case to case based on the complexity of the offence and the expenditure incurred. This is done in terms of the guidelines set out in National Instruction 1 of 2021.
(2) Yes
(a) 1 014
(b) 350
(c) 363
