A kidnapped Amanzimtoti father was rescued after he was taken on a terror ride from the South Coast to the North Coast, duped into believing that his 16-year-old daughter had also been abducted by a syndicate and robbed of about R10, 000 in cash, on Wednesday.
One suspect was later arrested in a rescue operation and handed over to police.
Members of North Coast private security company, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) and police officers from the Verulam SAPS launched a search for the teenager after her father was led to believe that she had been captured by a syndicate who kidnapped him from his home in Amanzimtoti, on Tuesday afternoon.
RUSA Head, Prem Balram, said: “The man explained that he was forced into a silver Ford Ranger bakkie with a NPS registration by three men. They transported him to Folweni , where he withdrew R10, 000 from his account. He had a balance of R4, 000 which the kidnappers intended on withdrawing on Wednesday after he reached his daily withdrawal limit.
On Wednesday morning, the kidnapped man was loaded into the bakkie and transported to Capitec Bank on Wick Street when two suspects escorted him to the entrance. They were armed with firearms. The suspects led him to believe that they had kidnapped his daughter who lived with her grandmother in KwaDabeka. The dad was asked to enter the bank and withdraw the balance of the cash from his account. The suspects reminded him not to draw attention to himself while they remained outside.”
“The victim informed bank employees of the kidnapping and they reported the matter to the Verulam SAPS. The suspects realized that the man had requested assistance when they walked away from the bank. Policemen responding to the scene requested backup from RUSA members to apprehend the suspects.
On arrival, reaction officers and SAPS officials converged on the silver Ford Ranger bakkie and arrested the driver. An extensive search was conducted for two of his accomplices, however, no further arrests were made. The victim believed that his daughter was in the vicinity as his kidnappers convinced him that they had already kidnapped the teenager,” Balram added.
According to Balram, an extensive search of the Verulam CBD was conducted and thereafter law enforcement officers proceeded to KwaDabeka with the victim in an attempt to track down the teenager.
“On arrival, her elderly grandmother informed officers that the girl left for school in the morning. First responders rushed to the school and located the girl fearing that the suspects might abduct her. When interviewed, the teen informed officers that on Tuesday night she received a call from her dad’s cellphone. An unknown male informed her that her father had been kidnapped and if he failed to comply with their instructions they were going to capture her as well. She informed her granny of the call.
The arrested suspect is facing charges of kidnapping and armed robbery,” said Balram.
“These incidents of kidnapping are becoming more common as ruthless criminals are waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Members of the community are urged to report any suspicious activities they may encounter and be transparent with family members to avoid complicated situations.
A lot of resources are invested to ensure the safety of kidnapped victims and it is imperative that the information shared with first responders and law enforcement officials is authentic to yield positive results. There is no compromise when searches are undertaken for kidnapped victims, hence, there must be factual information shared,” Balram added.
