Nine suspects, including cop, arrested for running kidnapping syndicate targetting Portuguese businessmen

Nine people, including a South African Police Services (Saps) officer involved in the running of a kidnapping syndicate targeting Portuguese businessmen, have been arrested.

This comes after the group kidnapped a 53-year-old man outside his business premises in Bramley on Monday evening.

The man has since been rescued and reunited with his family.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the Portuguese national was found safe and unharmed by the SAPS National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team at a house in Kempton Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Rescue

“The Anti-Kidnapping Task Team pounced on the address where the businessman had been kept in Kempton Park and arrested four men and a woman. At another identified address in Hillbrow, two women and a man were also arrested.”

“A 41-year-old police officer was also among those arrested. He was arrested at his place of work,” Mathe said.

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Syndicate

Mathe added the syndicate is alleged to be involved in at least five kidnapping cases where Portuguese businessmen were targeted.

“They would demand ransom payments from the victims families. No ransom payment was made at the time when police rescued the victim.

Police involvement

The National Commissioner of the Saps, General Fannie Masemola, said while the organisation is disappointed by the arrest of one of its own, it is pleasing to note that the organisation is ridding itself of corrupt elements.

“No member of the SAPS is above the law, irrespective of their rank. Police officers who are found on the wrong side of the law are dealt with accordingly. We will continue to root out rogue police officers from within our ranks”, said Masemola.

Mathe said the task team has, from April to date, arrested 70 suspects in Gauteng alone for being linked to kidnapping cases where ransom demands were being made.

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