A total of six people, two South Africans and four Pakistani nationals, have appeared in court in connection with the kidnapping of teenager Abdul Mateen Khalid in KwaZulu-Natal in May.

Omar Riaz, Mohamed Faisal, Rana Yaseen, and Nayeed Khan had their first court appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They will join their co-accused, Thembinkosi Hadebe and Thulani Mncwabe, who appeared in court on Monday.

Yesterday’s case could not proceed as an interpreter was needed to translate for the four men who speak Urdu. The case was remanded to June 13, when a translator will be present.

The accused

Three of the four men who appeared in court yesterday, live in Pietermaritzburg, while Yaseen lives in Umzinto on the South Coast, where Khalid (17)was found.

They have also been charged with attempted extortion after they tried to get a ransom of R11.5m for the boy.

Khalid was held by his captors from May 24 until he was found on Monday by a team consisting of multiple police agencies and security companies.

The alleged kingpin of the operation is said to be on the run after police conducted a raid at his home on Tuesday.

The four suspects were remanded in custody at Mountain Rise Police Station.