Kidnappings on the rise increase
Kidnappings continue as two more people have been abducted.
MAPUTO – “Kidnappers are so well organised, they even know some of their victims’ personal-medication requirements.” This is according to a source that spoke to Lowvelder on condition of anonymity. The source has been closely involved in the investigation into these abductions. “They know exactly who to target, have medication waiting for some victims who need it and even have their bank statements to prove that they are worth the ransom demanded.”
It said certain families’ private investigations into the kidnappings had revealed that these syndicates include some banking, police and government officials and also people of Pakastani origin that were all linked to these crimes. Also disclosed was that these abductors had had bank accounts in South Africa.
The banking connection lead back to the murder of investigative journalist Mr Carlos Cardosa who was shot dead on November 22, 2000, while investigating a US$14-million fraud scam connected with the privatisation of Mozambique’s largest bank, Banco Comercial de Mocambique. In a 2002 trial of six murder suspects, three of them described Mr Nyimpine Chissano, the son of former Mozambican president Mr Joaquim Chissano, as paying Cardoso’s murderer by cheque. Anibal dos Santos, a Portuguese citizen who was said to have been the mastermind behind Cardoso’s murder, was convicted.
The newsletter MediaFax linked some of the kidnappings to Momad Assife Abdul Satar (“Nini”) and Vicente Ramaya, who were jailed for executing the “hit” on Cardoso. The men were recently moved from the Maputo top-security prison last year, to the cells of the Maputo City Police Command, where Cardoso’s killer, Anibal dos Santos Jr “Anibalzinho” is serving his sentence.
Yet Lowvelder’s source confirmed that family members had traced phone calls to the cells where Dos Santos was being kept. Two weeks ago, two youths were kidnapped in Nelspruit and their family targeted due to their business interests in Mozambique. They were luckily released after police and security were gaining on them. Yet, so far no arrests had been made.
Two more kidnappings occurred over the weekend in Maputo. AIM Media reported that despite the arrests and long prison sentences for members of kidnapping gangs, the spate of abductions is continuing.
Two men, of Portuguese and Vietnamese nationalities, were kidnapped on Saturday. The Maputo police believe that the first victim was either a Mozambican, or holds dual Mozambican and Portuguese nationalities – but other than that, have been unable to provide any information.
The incident took place at about 09.00, in the commercial centre of the city, on the corner of Samora Machel and Zedequias Manganhela avenues. Although this area was thronged with people, a group of five men, some of them armed, snatched a 22-year-old and forced him into their vehicle.
On the same day, a 65-year-old Vietnamese was abducted at the entry to his home in the Maputo neighbourhood of Coop. It was not yet clear whether the kidnappers had contacted the families of their victims to demand ransoms. The police said they had no information.
Many copycat abductions had also been reported, but were not well orchestrated. These people had been snatching random people and demanding any amount of money.
One woman who managed to escape her captors, upon release actually saw one of them at the police station. Family took her to safety after which she left the country. Families who have been victims of these crimes have either moved to Nelspruit or even as far as Dubai for safety.
