A TRAFFIC examiner and a motorist have been arrested during a sting operation.

This happened yesterday after the official issued a licence to the motorist without testing him.

The arrest, conducted by plain clothes police, brings to four the number of traffic examiners arrested for the same offence in Mpu-malanga since Tuesday.

Police from the commercial unit had received a tip-off when they went to the Mbombela municipality where the examiner was supposed to test the motorist yesterday at 1pm.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi said yesterday: "Our members witnessed damning evidence unveiling itself right in front of their eyes. The traffic examiner issued a driver's licence without testing the applicant.

"Their agreement was that the driver would pay the examiner at the end of the month."

Hlathi said the police arrested both the examiner and applicant on the spot.

They are expected to appear in the Nelspruit magistrate's court today .

Meanwhile, three traffic examiners were arrested in Piet Retief on Tuesday after they allegedly issued driver's licences without testing the candidates.

Hlathi said the investigations against the traffic officers in Mkhondo municipality started after members of the community complained to the police.

He said police set up a trap and observed the behaviour of the examiners for five days in October and early November.

Hlathi said police managed to confirm the allegations and found that the examiners had issued 20 fraudulent licences.

The two males and a female examiner were scheduled to appear in court yesterday.