The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) on Friday rescued two people held hostage after they were robbed of R77 000 in a Facebook Marketplace scam in Winterveldt, Mabopane, north of Pretoria.

According to TMPD spokesperson Sergeant Rebone Molapo, members of the Region 1 Sector 1 Task Team in Mabopane received a tip-off from a community member who witnessed suspicious activity.

“Following up on the information, it was discovered that the incident involved the hijacking and kidnapping of two victims from Midrand, Johannesburg.”

Molapo said the men had fallen for a Facebook scam involving an advertised Audi A4. After communicating with the seller, they agreed to meet in Mabopane. “Upon arrival, they were ambushed and hijacked at gunpoint.”

Molapo added that the victims were taken to a location where they were forced to transfer R77 000 into an unknown account.

“Members responded swiftly to the tip-off and found the suspects holding the victims hostage.”

She confirmed that the victims were rescued unharmed and that three suspects were arrested. They were charged with hijacking, kidnapping, and extortion and detained at a local police station.

Another hijacking

In an unrelated incident, also on Friday, the TMPD task team and a tracking company recovered a suspected stolen vehicle in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 15. Molapo says a woman had been hijacked by three men in Ga-Rankuwa Zone 6.

“The suspects allegedly forced the woman to transfer money from her account to an unknown account after taking her to Ga-Rankuwa Zone 15.”

Molapo adds that the suspects abandoned the victim in a field along with the car, where TMPD officers and the tracking company found her.

The victim was taken to the nearest police station to open a hijacking and theft case.

Molapo says these successes highlight the TMPD’s ongoing efforts to combat vehicle theft and protect lives.

“The TMPD urges the public to exercise caution and verify information when dealing with social media adverts.”