Kidnappings and abductions are no longer crimes that happen in poorly lit alleys in the middle of the night; the crimes and how they are being committed have evolved, becoming more sophisticated.
With precise planning and preparation, suspects are specifically identifying and targeting their victims based on information gathered in advance.

As these crimes continue to occur, community members are being forced to confront the stark reality that anyone can become a target.

Recently, Edenvale was shocked when a fatal shooting occurred on Dunvegan Avenue, which claimed the life of Meadowdale resident Chantel Smith (58), at about 14.30, just outside the road enclosure.

ALSO READ: SAPS arrests five suspects linked to Edenvale and Germiston kidnapping incidents

Ekurhuleni District police spokesperson Captain Neldah Sekgobela said the shooting, which occurred on June 10, is believed to be the result of a botched hijacking.

Sekgobela said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was going to a nearby pharmacy when she was approached by two suspects.

“One suspect was armed with a firearm, and the suspects tried to pull the deceased and put her into their vehicle.

“The deceased resisted, which is when she was shot in the head by one of the suspects,” said Sekgobela.

She said paramedics were summoned to the scene, and the victim was certified deceased.

Police are investigating cases of attempted hijacking and murder.

Soon thereafter, a 47-year-old woman was kidnapped on June 17, while on her way to a gym in Edenvale.

According to SAPS, soon after her husband received a R2m ransom demand, a multidisciplinary team was established to rescue the woman.

Through an intelligence-driven operation, five suspects were arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion.

ALSO READ: Gauteng remains South Africa’s kidnapping capital

The 47-year-old woman, as well as a 44-year-old woman who was kidnapped from Germiston, were rescued.

In an effort to gain more insight into the rise of these crimes, how they occur, and the distinction between the types of kidnappings, Bedfordview and Edenvale News spoke with the CEO of IRS Forensic Investigations, Chad Thomas.

Thomas, a South African financial and organised crime investigator and forensic expert, explained that kidnappings have become one of the biggest copycat crimes in SA.

He said this is largely because of the media coverage and publicity given to high-profile cases and the ransoms paid.

An example he used was the 2021 kidnapping case of the four Moti brothers in Polekwane.

“The publication of the amount that was paid did the country a disservice. People saw just how much money could be made in a kidnapping.”

Thomas said the problem with the increase in copycat kidnappings is that they are not as professional as the syndicates which initially established themselves and targeted specific communities.

“Initially, one of the communities which were primarily targeted was the Muslim community.”

Thomas explained that this was because many members of these communities own cash-based businesses, such as cash-and-carry stores and wholesale businesses.

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“Initially, many victims were targeted in Polekwane, Musina, Mafikeng, before moving into more Muslim-based communities such as Lenasia, Fordsburg and Actonville.

He said the original syndicates, which had originated from Maputo, Mozambique, were extremely professional.

“They operated on intelligence-driven kidnappings; they knew who they were kidnapping, how much money the family would have access to and who they were connected to in the community.”

Thomas said these groups operated with safe houses, stolen vehicles with cold plates and personnel they would hire.

“It was all done in a very professional manner and fashion. They would extort huge amounts from the victim’s family.

“In some instances, once payment was made, the suspects would keep the victims longer, torture them on camera and get the families to pay them more. In most instances these professionals would return the victims because essentially this was their business model: kidnap, negotiate, get the money and move on.”

ALSO READ: Kidnapping breakthrough: missing Edenvale bank executive rescued, 5 arrested

Thomas said kidnapping then saw a rise in the Portuguese community, a community which he described again as being cash-rich because of the nature of their business.

“They own green grocers, grocery stores, butcher shops and have a lot of buying power in the community. As a community, they can rally together and find the necessary funds in the case of a kidnapping.”

Thomas said the surge of kidnappings in the Portuguese communities was also intelligence-driven, however, perhaps less so than the original syndicates from Maputo.

“There was some success, some groups were taken down, arrests were made, and victims were rescued.”

He said informal task teams established by General Feroz Khan several years ago, which relied on public and private partnerships, worked exceptionally well at infiltrating, disrupting and dismantling kidnap for ransom syndicates and the express kidnapping syndicates.

According to Thomas, express kidnappings started making a rise about five years ago. He explained that there are two general types.

1 The lure.
Thomas said the first type of express kidnapping includes instances where victims are responding to marketplace or online advertisements.

“The advertisements could be for a car or cellphone, and when they go to collect the item, they are held hostage .

“Their devices are taken from them, and the victims are forced into giving the kidnappers their banking details, whether it is biometric, a PIN code and their accounts are emptied.”

Thomas said in some instances the victims are tortured and kept for a short period of time before being released; however, he said sometimes the victims’ devices and banking apps are used to create short-term loans by the kidnappers, which is then transferred to mule accounts.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Police respond to kidnapping tip-off in Lombardy East

2 The old kidnapping and armed robbery

Thomas said the second type of express kidnapping is what many used to call hijacking and armed robberies, where a victim is hijacked and kept with their car before being forced to give their banking details and taken to an ATM with the suspects.

“The suspects will withdraw money before midnight, wait and withdraw money again.

“However, with many people having banking apps, victims aren’t taken to an ATM but rather a desolate area where they are forced into giving over their banking details, with money being transferred into new accounts.

“In some instances, these are less professional than kidnapping for ransom, but they are nonetheless growing in popularity because they are crimes which can be done fast.”

Lack of reportage

Thomas said his greatest concern regarding the copycat kidnappers is the kidnappings which do not get reported.

ALSO READ: Greenstone woman who escaped attempted kidnapping spreads awareness

“These are cases that are happening across South Africa, that don’t necessarily involve wealthy or high-profile families anymore.

“Kidnappers don’t necessarily care what part of society you are from. In the past, when kidnappings were spoken about, it would usually involve the rich and the famous or the businessmen.

“We are now seeing children being taken from informal settlements for as little as R2000, people from middle-class families being taken for anything between R50 000 or R200 000.”

Thomas said many of these kidnappings are going unreported because the victims are so scared.

“Many victims believe that if the kidnappers could take the victim in the first place, there will be retribution against the family.”

Thomas said that because these crimes offer easy money, one of the biggest challenges is that when one group or syndicate is dismantled, several more take its place.

ALSO READ: Police arrest alleged kidnapping kingpin at ORTIA

He said that when this occurs, the new groups may be amateurs and less professional, which is often fatal for victims.

Staying safe

In an effort to help community members stay as safe as possible, Thomas advised residents to remain as nosy and inquisitive about each other’s lives as possible.

“If you have family members going out, children going out, you need to know where they are.”

He advised communities to make use of tracking apps such as Life360 or devices such as AirTags to help track family members and valuable items.

He reminded community members that in SA, there is no waiting period to report a person missing.

“As soon as the person goes missing, go to the police, and if you are not helped, escalate it, speak to the station commander and your CPF,” said Thomas.