Bitcoin boy found barefoot and stranded next to road

The Bitcoin abductors left the 13-year old boy next to the road four days after they kidnapped him in front of his house.

WITBANK NEWS reported on Sunday afternoon, May 20 at about 15:15 Katlego Marite and two of his friends were playing outside his house in Tasbet Park when a gold Toyota Corolla stopped, picked him up and drove off.

It then came to light that a ransom note was found left in the gate of Katlego’s parents, demanding 15 Bitcoin.

Four days after the abduction a resident from Vosman Phase four recognized the young boy walking down the road barefoot.

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Mr Mandla Mnisi said,

“When I first saw the boy, I knew I saw that face somewhere recently before. That is when it hit me that it was the kidnapped Katlego from the newspapers’ front page.”

Katlego was unharmed as they arrived at the Witbank Police Station but was taken to hospital to undergo a decent scan to confirm all was in order.

Mnisi broke the good news on WITBANK NEWS webpage saying “the boy is found and we are just waiting for his parents and the police.”

Because of investigations, Col Leonard Hlhati could not confirm if any Bitcoin or cash was paid to the abductors.

Katlego Marite.

“This is a sensitive matter and the police are working very hard to come behind it all so at this point I can not comment on any such questions,” Hlathi said at the police press conference on May 24.

Emalahleni mayor, Linah Malatjie wrote a statement, stating

“We are once again faced with an unfortunate incident after yet another child was kidnapped. Although details are still sketchy, we can confirm that the young boy was snatched. We condemn the incident which comes barely a month after we re-launched the Moral Regeneration Movement which seeks to regulate and help our people to regain their consciousness and values of Ubuntu. Earlier this year Gabisile Shabane and her brother were kidnapped and later killed and another child was found dead near Klipfontein Dam around February. We are gravely concerned about these incidents, and to show our anxiety, the collective leadership of eMalahleni Local Municipality re-launched the Moral Regeneration Movement to precisely deal with such issues. We have, as a collective, been travelling throughout eMalahleni raising awareness about undesirable conditions which we find ourselves. We have visited affected families and have offered our undivided support. We would like to make a clarion call to all stakeholders to support the Emalahleni chapter of Moral Regeneration Movement, so that as a community we can speak in one voice and loudly say no to the kidnapping and abuse of women and children.”