Portuguese businessman rescued, 5 kidnappers arrested
Pretoria – The South African Police Service’s Special Task Force unit successfully rescued a Portuguese businessman who was being held captive at Nancefield hostel in Soweto after being kidnapped in South Gate.
The man, who owns a butchery in Johannesburg, was targeted for ransom, but the police intervened swiftly, leading to his safe rescue without any ransom payment. The operation involved the arrest of suspects, including those believed to be involved in the kidnapping and holding the victim.
The businessman was found tied up and guarded at the hostel, and further investigations led to the arrest of additional suspects in White City Soweto, where the victim’s belongings were recovered.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, commended the SAPS for their well-coordinated efforts in ensuring victims are rescued alive without ransom payments. Since January, 13 businessmen and six students have been rescued due to the expertise of the SAPS teams, leading to the arrest of over 200 kidnappers in the past two years. In a six-month period, more than 54 kidnappers in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, and Free State have been apprehended, with various units like Private Security, Detectives, Public Order Police, and the Pretoria Airwing involved in the operations.