By OBAKENG MAJE
Two suspects have been arrested for kidnapping, extortion and unlawful possession of a firearm on Sunday. It is alleged that, a victim (23), was allegedly kidnapped during the early hours of Saturday morning (4 May 2024), outside a nightclub in Stilfontein by armed men driving a Nissan vehicle.
His Volkswagen Polo vehicle was allegedly stolen during the kidnapping. According to the North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh, shortly after the kidnapping, the suspects demanded a ransom from the victim’s family. Myburgh said they allegedly threatened to kill the victim should the family fail to meet their demands.
“The victim’s Volkswagen Polo was found abandoned later the same morning in Khuma Township, near Stilfontein. With the involvement of a multidisciplinary team comprising of the North West Provincial Drug Task Team, Hostage Negotiators, Crime Intelligence, West Rand Flying Squad, the Air wing, Carletonville K9, Fochville police, Spectrac Security and BIU Security, in cooperation to arrest, a drop-off point was agreed upon for the ransom to be paid on 5 May 2024.
“Then the team tactically kept observations until a Mercedes Benz vehicle was spotted on the N12, close to Fochville at around 1pm. The occupants were confronted by the police after picking up the money,” she said.
Myburgh further said the suspects’ vehicle allegedly sped off from the drop-off point, but ultimately came to a halt after the police fired shots. She added that the suspects who ran off were arrested by the police.
“One of the suspects (40), was injured during the shooting incident and taken to hospital, where he is under police guard. The police recovered the ransom money and seized the suspects’ vehicle and a firearm suspected to have been used during the commission of the crimes.
“After the arrest on the N12, the kidnapped victim was dropped off unharmed at Doornkop police station. One suspect (33) is expected to appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on 7 May 2024,” said Myburgh.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, lauded the team for working around the clock to arrest the suspects and confiscate an illegal firearm. Kwena said the arrests will send a strong message that criminal activities will not be tolerated.
TaungDailyNews 