South Africa- A Zimbabwean businessman was abducted by a group of thugs near his workplace in Gauteng on Sunday.
The kidnappers, a diverse and international group, included three Chinese, two Mozambicans, and nine others.
All fourteen kidnappers were arrested on Monday by South African police.
In a statement issued Monday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that the Zimbabwean businessman was rescued safely at an identified address in Diepkloof, Soweto.
The statement reads:
“Three Chinese nationals and two Mozambicans are among fourteen kidnappers arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) anti-kidnapping task team in Gauteng. The fourteen are alleged to have kidnapped a Zimbabwean businessman on Sunday near his workplace. By Monday afternoon, the anti-kidnapping task team, which also includes a number of other units within the SAPS, working closely with private security partners, managed to find the kidnapped victim safe and alive at an identified address in Diepkloof, Soweto. They also managed to trace the fourteen kidnappers at various locations; the first eight were found at an apartment in Greenstone Park, and the rest were arrested in Sandton.”
Multiple speed point machines, a large sum of cash withdrawn from the victim’s bank account, and two firearms, including one stolen during a house robbery in Linden in 2023, were among the items seized and recovered from the kidnappers.
The SAPS has recently intercepted several kidnappers linked to syndicates targeting businessmen for ransom. Communities are urged to report suspicious activities to help decisively combat these criminals.