Zimbabwean businessman survives horrific kidnapping in South Africa – ZimEye

South Africa – A Zimbabwean businessman was kidnapped by a group of thugs near his place of work in Gauteng province on Sunday.

The kidnappers were from different countries and included three Chinese, two Mozambicans and nine others.

South African police arrested all fourteen kidnappers on Monday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed in a statement on Monday that the Zimbabwean businessman had been safely rescued from a known address in Diepkloof, Soweto.

The statement reads as follows:

“The South African Police Service (SAPS) Anti-Kidnapping Task Force has arrested 14 kidnappers in Gauteng, including three Chinese and two Mozambicans. The 14 allegedly abducted a Zimbabwean businessman near his workplace on Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (which also includes a number of other units within the SAPS), working closely with private security partners, managed to locate the kidnapped victim safe and sound at a designated address in Diepcloft, Soweto. They also managed to track down the 14 kidnappers at various locations; the first eight were found at an apartment in Greenstone Park, while the rest were arrested in Sandton.”

Items seized from the kidnappers included multiple ATMs, large amounts of cash withdrawn from the victims’ bank accounts, and two firearms, including one that was stolen during a 2023 Linden home invasion.

The South African Police Service has recently intercepted several kidnappers linked to criminal groups that are targeting businessmen for ransom, and police are urging the community to report suspicious activity to help decisively combat these criminals.

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