Bitcoin was asked for ransom as the 13-year old Katlego Marite was abducted in front of his parent’s house in Tasbet Park over broad daylight.
On Sunday afternoon on May 20 at about 15:15 Katlego 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.
As this incident occurred Katlego’s best friend went running to his mom, Ms Mirriam Marite to tell her what horrible thing just happened.
According to the boy there were three occupants in the vehicle. The man who was dressed in black, with a green jacket, grabbed the victim. Unfortunately the vehicle had no number plates.
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As parents Mirriam along with her husband, Mr Lolo Lekgoane immediately left for the Witbank Police Station with the two friends.
A search followed in and around the area where Katlego went missing after they left the station.
“We asked the South African Community Crime Watch (SACCW) for help and they did not think twice to assist us and have been there ever since,” Marite added.
At about 18:00 on Sunday the family went back to their house to find a ransom note, demanding 15 Bitcoins. The ransom note started with,
“This is a kidnapping. We have your child. Your child will not be harmed if the following demands are met…”
The ransom note stating where the Bitcoin should be deposited into
The police urged the public to come out with any information that could lead to the discovery of the 13-year-old boy and to the arrest of his kidnappers.
“To be honest I am hurting. I just want my child back in one piece. Do not do anything wrong to my child,” Marite pleaded to the abductors over national television.
With Bitcoin being a new, unknown cyber currency Katlego’s father, Lolo sadly concluded,
“If only they could communicate with us in any way because I do not even know what Bitcoin is or how the process works for this demand they gave me.”
No arrests have been made yet and police is still investigating this matter.
For any information that could help the police contact, Capt. Africa Nyathi at 071 352 6007 or call the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111.
