Durban man rescued by police after alleged kidnapping

ON Sunday, June 11, a 33-year-old man was allegedly hijacked and kidnapped by two suspects, and just five days later, the police found and arrested the two alleged kidnappers and successfully rescued the victim.

According to South African Police Service (SAPS) Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, Hawks members from Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation, working together with Crime Intelligence and Hostage Negotiator, arrested two suspects, aged 30 and 47, for kidnapping as well as hijacking on Friday, June 16.

“On June 11, a 33-year-old victim was hijacked and kidnapped by the suspects outside a nightclub in Cato Manor. His vehicle was later found abandoned in the Berea area. A case of hijacking and kidnapping was reported at Cato Manor police station. The case docket was allocated to the Hawks members for intensive investigation,” said Mhlongo.

Also read: KZN Transport Department recruits 200 trainees

The lieutenant colonel says that the suspects demanded a ransom of R50 000 from the victim’s girlfriend and colleagues, and an amount of R5 000 was taken from the victim’s bank account.

“Members worked tirelessly since the date of the incident, and a joint operation was conducted on Friday. Suspects were spotted driving along M25 towards Inanda, and police stopped them. One suspect fled the scene and fired shots towards the police who retaliated in self-defence, fatally wounding him,” he said.

Mhlongo says that the two suspects were placed under arrest, and the victim was successfully rescued. “He was taken to hospital for a medical examination. The [suspects] are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today,” he concluded.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.