Saps anti-kidnapping task team has made 437 arrests in the past four years, secured 68 convictions, and seized 182 firearms.
Though the police anti-kidnapping task team has made hundreds of arrests in recent years, a security expert says that what started out as syndicate-driven targeted kidnappings of rich individuals has evolved into a free-for-all with copycat syndicates springing up to get in on the action.
Kidnappings no longer confined to the wealthy
Chad Thomas, of IRS Forensic Investigations, said: “We see multiple express kidnappings taking place each week, where people are held for a few hours while their bank accounts are cleared.
“We’re seeing kidnap for ransom cases where victims can be held for months while tens of millions of rands are negotiated; we’re seeing kidnappings of middle-class victims in suburbia released on payments of thousands of rands, and kidnappings in informal settlements of children released after a few hundred rands are paid. No one is immune to this growing scourge.”
The South African Police Service’s (Saps) anti-kidnapping task team has made 437 arrests in the past four years, secured 68 convictions, and seized 182 firearms in its ongoing crackdown on kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates.
The crime intelligence national anti-kidnapping task team was established in November 2021 following a rise in kidnappings where a ransom was demanded.
Saps Major-General Feroz Khan shared the numbers during a briefing at a law enforcement and private security industry public-private partnership summit at the weekend.
The Civilian Crime Intelligence Network summit took place at Capital Air’s Rand Airport hangar in Germiston.
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Billions demanded, millions paid
Khan said the results show that the team is dismantling criminal networks linked to drug trafficking, cross-border smuggling, and organised crime.
Since 2021, there have been 402 cases of kidnapping, 328 victims and 979 intelligence-linked and proactive preventions.
“The total ransom demands emanating from the committed crimes were about R1.8 billion, with R150 million in ransoms paid,” said Kha,n of which R28 million was recovered by authorities.
So far, 68 convictions have materialised, 182 firearms were recovered, and 128 vehicles seized.
“Kidnapping for ransom is not a random crime. It is run by syndicates. Every arrest, every firearm recovered, and every vehicle seized chips away at these criminal ecosystems,” said Khan.
He said the goal of the anti-kidnapping unit was “to restore public confidence and show that law enforcement and private partners can deliver results against one of the toughest organised crime threats in this country”.
Khan said the task team is not simply reactive but relies on predictive data, intelligence sharing and rapid coordination to prevent kidnappings before they happen.
“We are not waiting for a call after someone goes missing. We are working around the clock to stop kidnappings before they occur,” he said.
Khan said the ongoing battle against the scourge of kidnapping for ransom relies on intelligence to prevent escalation of the crime.
This includes day and night coordination between all role players and the growing use of artificial intelligence to identify suspects and bolster prevention efforts.
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Cooperation key to convictions
“We need strong convictions to reinforce deterrence,” he said.
Khan said strong cooperation with private sector partners has been key to the unit’s results and to supporting victims and their families through court processes.
“You can have a watertight case, but without the courage and cooperation of victims, it goes nowhere.
“Facing the people who held you captive is terrifying. Our partners help victims feel safe enough to speak up,” he said.
The unit works closely with the Saps special task force, the national intervention unit, the flying squad, metro police, traffic units, and private security companies, as well as data analysts, vehicle tracking firms and medics.
Thomas said police, especially crime intelligence, organised crime, and the Hawks are trying their best to curb kidnapping, but every time one syndicate is dismantled, more appear.
“On a positive note,” Thomas said, “the joint initiatives we’ve seen initiated by Saps crime intelligence and private security and investigation companies are leading to intelligence-driven takedown of suspects involved in this horrendous, ever-growing crime.”
Khan urged the public to see the fight against kidnapping as a shared responsibility.
“Law enforcement alone cannot defeat this scourge. Communities must stand with us. Together, we can make South Africa safer for everyone,” he said.
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