A corrupt police officer Jerome Claud Hendricks has been sentenced to six-years behind bars.

The Mitchells Plain Regional Court found him guilty of being in possession of illicit cigarettes, obstructing the course of justice and accepting gratification to convince the police to look the other way.

Hendricks and three men were arrested in February 2011 near Beaufort West. They were transporting 40 000 illicit packets of Kingdom cigarettes from Johannesburg to Cape Town. At a police stop and search, Hendricks who was dressed in full SAPS uniform with a bulletproof vest, stun grenades and an extra magazine claimed that they were busy with an operation. But the officers who followed up on the claim could not verify the alleged operation.

According to the State Hendricks’ criminal activities, had a potential loss of more than R 470 000 in tax.

Prosecutor, Advocate Jacobus Hough, argued that Hendricks felt no remorse as he maintained his innocence.

The court ruled that Hendricks is unfit to possess a firearm.