By OBAKENG MAJE
The police in North West have rescued cousins who were allegedly kidnapped in Brits on 6 March 2024. Zahraa Mohammed (17) and Bataviya Mohammed (19), were rescued by a multi-disciplinary team comprising of Provincial Organised Crime, Head Office Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Bojanala Platinum Sub-District 2 Task Team and Brits Crime Intelligence in a house at New Stands, Klipgat near Winterveldt and Mabopane on Monday evening.
The North West police spokesperson, Brigadier SABATA Mokgwabone said, in the process of locating the victims, the determined police arrested six suspects. Mokgwabone said the seventh suspect, Humphrey Martin,48, was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning (8 March 2024), at Naturena, in Johannesburg.
“He has already appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on 11, 18, and 25 March 2024. He was remanded in custody until 8 April 2024, for formal bail application. Meanwhile, the victims were examined by paramedics at Klipgat police station’s Victims Friendly Room (VFR) and found to be in a good state of health except for exhaustion and trauma.
“They were safely reunited with their families without any visible injuries. It was reported at the time of the incident that the suspects bumped the victims’ car from the front with a maroon Audi A3, to force it to stop,” he said.
Mokgwabone further said the said Audi A3 was reportedly stolen in Grasfontein in March this year. He added that the two armed men allegedly got out of a white Volkwagen Polo GTI and ordered the cousins to get into it (the Polo).
“The driver of the Audi got into a Toyota Hilux allegedly driven by Humphrey Martin. The suspects then fled from the crime scene with the victims. The latter’s Mercedes Benz vehicle and the Audi A3 were found at the crime scene.
“The suspects are expected to appear before the Brits Magistrate’s Court soon, facing two counts of kidnapping and extortion,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Kwena, expressed his gratitude to the multi-disciplinary team for their relentless efforts, which led to the finding of the victims and the arrest of the suspects.
Kwena said that the arrests will, without a doubt, send a warning that those who commit crimes have no place to hide in society and will be exposed as it happened in this case.
TaungDailyNews 