Alleged kidnapper from Delmas behind bars
The victim could apparently be heard screaming that he has been abducted.
Kidnapping, extortion, armed robbery and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition are charges an undocumented Zimbabwean national is facing.
This follows the arrest of the suspect in Botleng, Delmas on January 6. The Zimbabwean was arrested only hours after a man was kidnapped and a ransom demanded his release.
The victim visited a friend in Botleng on January 5 and left shortly before 22:00. Within 30 minutes of his departure, the friend allegedly received a phone call from his visitor’s phone.
The victim could apparently be heard screaming that he has been abducted.
The suspect then demanded a ransom for the victim’s release. The Botleng resident reported the incident to the Delmas Police.
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More of the victim’s acquaintances received ‘strange calls’ during which ransom for the victim’s release was demanded.
The police assembled a team of investigators comprising crime intelligence and hostage negotiators. The matter took a turn when the victim arrived at the Delmas Police Station on the afternoon of January 6.
His kidnapper had released the victim at about 15:00. During an interview, the police established that the victim’s cellphone was still in the hands of the suspected kidnapper.
This led the police to a house in Botleng where a man fitting the kidnapper’s description was found.
The police recovered the victim’s cellphone, an unlicensed Norinco 9mm pistol with serial numbers filed off and 22 live rounds of ammunition in the suspect’s possession.
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The investigation further revealed that the firearm in the suspect’s possession was reported missing during a business robbery in Pretoria in 2020.
The police are not ruling out the possibility of adding other charges as the investigation continues.
“The provincial management commends the team for the breakthrough and hopes other suspects linked to the Pretoria business robbery will be arrested soon,” said Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, Mpumalanga Police spokesman, in a media statement released on January 7.
At the time of going to print, the suspect was set to appear in the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on January 9.
