Ekurhuleni — South African Police Services (SAPS) have arrested five people following a successful intelligence-driven operation which led to the prevention of a kidnapping.
SAPS crime intelligence and organised crime operatives, including the Hawks, arrested five people – two South Africans, two Ugandans and a Malawi national – after it had been working on information it received about a South African woman who was planning for her employer to be kidnapped, and forced to withdraw a large amount of money from her business account, police said in a statement.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said through intelligence and working closely with the target, the group staged a mock kidnapping and SAPS revealed it reserved the right to not divulge details of how the operation was expected to play out, which would have revealed how intelligence operations are done.
“The SAPS can therefore confirm that following this successful mock kidnapping and play along to ensure the syndicate is taken down, five suspects were arrested while planning to withdraw the money that had been ‘transferred’ following the ‘kidnapping’ of this ‘female employer’,” Mathe said.
#sapsHQ #KIDNAPPING FOILED
Five suspects including two South Africans, two Ugandan and one Malawian national have been arrested following an intelligence-driven operation which led to the foiling of a kidnapping.The South African Police Service crime intelligence and organised… pic.twitter.com/tieiEdMY1e
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 24, 2024
Police said the suspected were arrested for conspiracy to kidnap as well as extortion, following a meeting at Melrose Arch on Friday 23 August. Police seized three vehicles and ten cellphones during the arrest.
National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, praised the organised crime and intelligence team for carefully executing the operation and ensuring that the target’s life was not harmed.
“This was a sensitive operation but through the experience and skill set of our organised crime and intelligence team, we have managed to break the back of this syndicate.”
We do believe we have foiled many other kidnappings through the takedown of this syndicate. Investigations are continuing to determine if they can be linked to other kidnappings, especially for ransom”, Gen Masemola said.
SAPS also praised its stakeholders like private security and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) for their assistance during the operation.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
