Sloppy screenshot enables cops to nab Eastern Cape kidnappers

Police have made significant progress this week in crushing the operations of a kidnapping syndicate.

Prior to the release of the two female hostages in Eastern Cape, police arrested two suspects, killed four and wounded another.

Key information in breaking the case is believed to have been obtained by chance through the sloppy exchange of digital information by the suspects.

Smart work by negotiators

Alize van der Merwe and an unnamed Chinese national were kidnapped three days apart earlier in September.

Van der Merwe’s vehicle was found near Mthatha, while the vehicle that was driven by the second kidnapping victim has yet to be located.

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Eastern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli told The Citizen that he could not delve into the specifics of the intelligence that led to the break in the case.

However, Johannesburg-based founder of eBlockwatch Andre Snyman revealed to The Citizen that he had seen the bungled way in which the kidnappers slipped up.

During negotiations with police, the kidnappers shared a photo of Van der Merwe to prove she was not severely harmed.

In that photo, reportedly a screenshot from another phone, missed call alerts displayed the phone numbers of accomplices.

Seven suspects traced

This information, along with efforts of Crime Intelligence, the Hawks and other specialist police units, led to the tracing of seven suspects.

Four suspects were shot and killed on Monday 23 September, with another was injured in an operation carried out in Qobogobo.

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Two days later, a man and a woman were tracked while driving a stolen vehicle near Craddock.

The following day, the kidnapped women were released.

“Both victims were unharmed and no ransom was paid to the syndicate,” stated Warrant Officer Nkohli.

The arrested couple are due in both the Cradock and Port St Johns Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of stolen property and kidnapping, respectively.

Wide network of communications

Snyman had been monitoring developments and sharing information from the ground since the day after Van der Merwe’s kidnapping.

“It was a very well-coordinated operation, [the screenshot] wasn’t a silver bullet that got this done. And it’s not over,” he said to The Citizen.

Elaborating on information sourced from the ground using his eBlockwatch network, he added, “You need the community, you need a conduit. It’s like a huge funnel getting the right information to the those who need it.”  

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Police have since recovered three stolen vehicles and three unlicenced firearms, with Nkohli not ruling out further arrests.

“We are indeed pleased with the outcomes, which we hope will deter those who want to embark in similar criminal activities in the future,” stated Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene

“We invested a lot of resources into this team, and the results are beginning to show,” concluded the commissioner.