Relatives of a kidnapped KZN shop owner and his son yesterday said they were grateful for their safe return.

Ahmed Mohamed, his son Mohammed and two of his employees, along with their white Toyota Hilux were taken from their business premises at around 09:00 on Thursday.

Family members approached Magma Security and Investigations to assist with the investigation, negotiations and safe return of the Mohameds and their employees.

“An operational team consisting of Magma Security and Investigations, PMB Hostage Negotiators, PMB DPCI, Durban DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks], Greytown SAPS, Kranskop SAPS Tracker Connect was then put in place,” says Magma Security owner Shaheen Suleiman.

According to Magma Security, all four victims were released in the early hours of Friday morning and returned to their families after intense negotiations.

KZN Hawks spokesperson Simphiwe Mhlongo says the initial reports indicated that five people approached the victims during the robbery and kidnapping, however, they could never be sure of the exact number as such crimes usually have other people involved.

Mhlongo explains there could have been more suspects waiting in the getaway car or on the lookout for police.

“They took an undisclosed amount of money and a vehicle. The victims were handed over by the suspects at the agreed drop-off spot with the exchange of the agreed ransom money.”

Mhlongo said he couldn’t give the exact location of the drop-off nor could he reveal where the victims were kept, but added that the whole ordeal took place in the Kranskop area. The businessman’s nephew, Iqbal Moosa, says if it were not for the Magma Security team, along with the Hawks and SAPS with their experience and their ability to negotiate, ‘the kidnapped victims would not be with us today’.

“I realised in all this that if we had trigger-happy ‘cowboys’ with no negotiation experience, lives would mean nothing. We would be burying our loved ones today

“Experience teaches you patience, ability to negotiate, gives you the ability to read and understand the criminal. Suleiman has this ability as [I saw] from this experience. When I was getting worried and was losing patience and thinking of the cowboy all guns blazing method, by listening to him, he made me realise there was only one way and he had his ducks in a row.”

Moosa says he was grateful for the safe return of the victims without any bloodshed. The investigation into the kidnapping is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, AFP yesterday reported that a Mozambican suspected of masterminding kidnappings for ransom has been arrested by Interpol in South Africa.

The man is suspected of orchestrating kidnappings that netted several million dollars over the past two decades.

The man was arrested in a raid late Saturday at ‘an upmarket estate in Centurion’, near Pretoria, SA Police Service police said in a statement. A firearm, cartridges, five mobile phones, as well as several bank cards and SIM cards were seised. Mozambique is seeking his extradition.

He is due in court today. Kidnappings for financial gain have also exploded in recent years in South Africa – already infamous for its high crime rate.