A gang of seven suspects, accused of kidnapping a Chinese businesswoman last month, have been arrested.
The men were nabbed by a multidisciplinary task team, made up of Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime Investigation (Hawks), Crime Intelligence Technical Surveillance, Special Task Force, Durban Metro Police and Counter Narcotics.
Hawks spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, said the men accosted the woman on September 30, as she was closing her bottle store in Kokstad.
“The 46-year-old woman was taken together with her security guard in her vehicle which was later found abandoned at Bhongweni area in Kokstad. The security guard was dropped off in the vicinity and the suspects disappeared with the victim,” Mhlongo said.
Police registered a case of kidnapping and the docket was allocated to the Hawks.
Mhlongo said on October 1, the suspects called the woman’s family, demanding R15million ransom.
“After long negotiations R305 000.00 was paid to the suspects but they did not released the victim as agreed,” Mhlongo said.
He said last week, the men contacted the woman’s family and demanded a further R1.2m.
He said on Wednesday, police were able to track down the woman’s whereabouts and one suspect was arrested.
She was taken to hospital for a medical examination and more suspects were arrested.
“They are due in the Kokstad Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and more arrests are expected,” Mhlongo said.
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