Woman kidnapped: Police nab ‘syndicate’ after R2 million ransom demand to husband

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A woman kidnapped while heading to the gym sparked a Gauteng police operation that led to arrests and the rescue of victims.

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FIVE suspects linked to the alleged kidnapping of a 47-year-old woman, on June 17, were nabbed by police yesterday while they were collecting the R2 million ransom demand.

The police operation led to the discovery of a second kidnapping victim - a 44-year-old Germiston woman who was kidnapped on June 19.

She was kidnapped last Wednesday while she was going to the gym in Edenvale.

“The following day, the victim's husband received a ransom demand of R2 million for the release of the victim. All relevant rolep-layers were mobilised and through intelligence gathering, two vehicles suspected to be involved in the kidnapping of the victim were identified and placed under surveillance,” said Gauteng police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.

She said a drop off was agreed upon yesterday, and a team of various law enforcement agencies strategically positioned themselves and pounced on the two suspects who came to collect the ransom money.

“The team went on to arrest three more suspects that were parked not far from the drop off area. The suspects were found in possession of multiple cellphones.

“Further investigations led to the rescue of two victims who had sustained minor injuries and received medical attention before they were reunited with their families.

“One of the women, aged 44, was reportedly kidnapped on June 19 in Germiston,” Nevhuhulwi said.

Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni applauded the multidisciplinary team comprising various units within SAPS, EMPD and private security companies through the Eyes and Ears (E2) project for their collaborative efforts in dealing with kidnappings in the province.

"This collaboration has proven to be fruitful and we will continue to work together in the fight against crime and maximize police visibility for the safety of the people of Gauteng", Mthombeni added.

The five suspects, aged between 28 and 45, were charged with kidnapping and extortion, and will appear in court this week.