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Charloos was nabbed after information was received from crime intelligence.
Faizel Charloos was handcuffed just hours after he fled from the court on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied
Kidnapping mastermind Faizel Charloos was arrested on Wednesday after he fled from the Protea Magistrate’s Court.
The Mozambican kidnapping kingpin was handcuffed just hours after he fled from the court on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said Charloos was nabbed through crime intelligence-led information.
“Faizel Charloos was arrested at Bela Bela last night after a warrant of arrest was issued for him when he did not pitch for his court appearance scheduled on 1 April 2025 on a kidnapping case of 2022.
“He is expected to appear before the Protea court today, 3 April 2025, on a charge of contempt of court. A further charge of kidnapping will be added and will join the four co-accused when they appear on 9 April 2025 for a formal bail application,” Nevhuhulwi said.
ALSO READ: Seven more suspects nabbed in Lenasia over alleged links to kidnapping mastermind Faizal Charloos
Charloos, who was out on bail, was expected to appear in court on kidnapping charges related to the kidnapping of a Lenasia businessman in 2022.
He was arrested in March 2022 by police with five other suspects, including his wife Sadiyah.
During the police raids in 2022 on houses in Lenasia, Lawley, Brackenhurst and Benoni – which were allegedly linked to Charloos and three of his alleged accomplices – police rescued kidnapped Gauteng businessman, 34-year-old Luqman Kazi.
Charloos and Sadiyah previously appeared in the Protea regional court in Soweto in connection with two other kidnappings.
He fled from the court on Tuesday before he could be charged with another kidnapping, that of Mohammad Bhiko, who was kidnapped on 18 March.
The 20-year-old Bhiko is the son of Yasin Bhiko, a businessman from Lenasia who was also kidnapped in January 2022.
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His kidnapping was believed to be linked to his father’s testimony against an alleged kidnapping syndicate.
Mohammad was released after eight days in captivity. Police revealed that a white Volkswagen Amarok was involved in his kidnapping.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the suspects had parked the vehicle at the location.
Masondo said the team proceeded to the suspects’ home in Lenasia, where the identified suspect was arrested.
“Through meticulous investigation and intelligence gathering, the team identified the suspects and located the vehicle in a residential parking area in Sandton. Surveillance footage confirmed the suspect’s involvement, leading to the arrest of other suspects in Elandsfontein and Lenasia.
“The recovered VW Amarok was linked to a hijacking reported in Durban Central, KwaZulu-Natal, in January 2025. The victim has been reunited with his family and is receiving medical attention,” Masondo said.
Yasin was released from captivity a month after he was snatched outside his home on 11 January 2021, as he returned from morning prayers at a mosque.
Yaseen owns several Gauteng properties and Gnujrat Trading, which distributes cigarettes for Gold Leaf Tobacco.
A ransom of R20 million was allegedly paid in Dubai for the Indian national’s release while eight people, including an alleged kidnapping kingpin, were subsequently arrested.
“Eight other suspects, Thabani Tsotetsi, Kenny Langa, Nelson Khosa, Ahmed Ibrahim Illias, Faizal Charloos, Sadiyah Charloos, Ahmed Kazi and Sadiyah Rasool, have remained in custody since their initial arrest in March 2022.”
Investigations led police to the Charloos household where R3.2 million was found hidden in kitchen cupboards. This money is believed to have been part of the ransom paid for Yasin’s release.
On 27 March 2022, a person close to the investigation told The Citizen, on condition of anonymity, that granting bail to Charloos would be a mistake.
“If he is out on bail, he might interfere with investigators or get rid of evidence, and we know there is a number of things still coming up, cases as far back as 2008 and big discoveries on cases in 2016 and 2017.”
The source also said that Charloos is prone to intimidating individuals, including journalists and officials.
“From an investigation case and considering his history, we also know that this guy specifically always intimidated witnesses. We know that once he was given bail, witnesses changed their statements. People then refused to talk to the police and didn’t cooperate with the courts, but that was only because he was out,” the source said.
In April 2022, law enforcement officials also arrested Charloos’ brother in relation to a spate of kidnappings in the south of Johannesburg.
The eight suspects are expected to stand trial in the Protea Magistrate’s Court next week on charges of kidnapping, extortion, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
ALSO READ: Another suspect nabbed in connection with spate of kidnappings
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