Tinotenda Hove- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched an investigation into a video circulating on social media which allegedly shows a police officer asking tourists to surrender an iPhone instead of paying a US$30 traffic fine.

The footage, initially shared on the Instagram account Buggyteeth, reportedly captures an encounter between tourists and a police officer after they were stopped for allegedly failing to obey a stop sign.

According to the video, the tourists were informed that they had committed a traffic offence and were required to pay a US$30 fine. They subsequently appealed for the matter to be handled with a warning rather than a monetary penalty.

It was during the exchange that the officer allegedly asked the tourists for an iPhone as an alternative to the fine.

The ZRP has acknowledged the footage and confirmed that investigations are underway.

Police said the probe is intended to determine whether the video is authentic and establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.

Authorities are also working to establish the identity of the officer featured in the footage, as well as determine when and where the incident allegedly took place.