Police arrest ‘kidnap kingpin’
A task team established by the minister of police successfully arrests kidnapping kingpin.
Police arrested a Mozambican man suspected to be the kingpin in various kidnapping cases in Centurion over the weekend.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said a team led by members of the trilateral planning cell (TPC) and Interpol led to the successful arrest of Esmael Malude Ramos Nangy (50).
“The TPC is a structure which was established and is led by the ministers responsible for policing in South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania to counter transnational organised crime in the region,” Mathe said.
She said the team was acting on an international warrant of arrest that the Mozambican government issued for Nangy late last year.
MORE HERE: Mozambique Kingpin arrested in Centurion
According to Mathe, police seized a 9mm licensed firearm, 14 9mm cartridges, five cellphones, multiple South African bank cards as well as multiple local and Mozambican sim cards.
Nangy has been linked to multiple kidnappings both in South Africa and Mozambique.
Mathe said he has been identified as the mastermind behind multiple cases of kidnapping since 2018.
He is expected to appear in the Randburg magistrate’s court on Monday for the commencement of the extradition processes.
According to Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, the number of kidnappings for ransom and extortion cases has increased in South Africa.
Police minister Bheki Cele revealed last year that the Kempton Park police station recorded the most kidnappings at 56, up from only seven in 2021.
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