4 Arrested for Allegedly Kidnapping and Hijacking Victim Found on LGBTQIA+ Dating App

• Four men were arrested and appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court for targeting a member of the LGBTQIA+ community
• They allegedly chatted to a victim on a dating app and lured him to a secluded area, where he was robbed and kidnapped
• The suspects were found in possession of the victim’s belongings; however, his hijacked Mercedes C180 is yet to be recovered
• LGBTQIA+ activist Kim Lithgow provided safety tips when dating online to prevent a similar incident from occurring again

GAUTENG - Four men targeting members of the LGBTQIA+ community were arrested and charged with hijacking, kidnapping and extortion.

The group were arrested at a restaurant in Parktown in Gauteng after hijacking, kidnapping and robbing a 26-year-old man. The men allegedly chatted to the victim on an LGBTQIA+ dating app and lured him to a secluded area.

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Police Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the victim was robbed of his personal items, including his bank cards and Mercedes C180. She said the criminals used the victim’s cards to make several purchases.

“As soon as the matter was reported to the Mondeor Police Station, the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team operationalised information and swooped in on the four men who were meeting at a restaurant on the same day of the kidnapping,” said Mathe.

4 Arrested appear in court for kidnapping and robbery

The men were found in possession of some the victim’s belongings. However, the hijacked car is yet to be recovered. Thabo Ndlovu, Ndumiso Mahlangu, Sibusiso Tshabalala and Elson Nyati, aged between 25 and 33, appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court.

According to TimesLIVE, the victim was rescued and has since been reunited with his family.

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Activist condemns crimes against LGBTQIA+ community

LGBTQIA+ activist Kim Lithgow condemned the incident. Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, she provided safety tips for members of the community when online dating:

• Don’t meet people in secluded areas or private residences, rather go to a public place for your first few meetings.
• Opt for group dates instead of being alone with the new person.
• Let friends know where you are going and who you are meeting.
• Try to do a social media background check on the person you are chatting to.
• Always arrive and leave with your own transport.
• Don't overindulge in alcohol and guard your drinks.
• Don’t be afraid to report the person you're chatting with on the dating app if you suspect something is sketchy.

Valentine’s Day kidnapping ends with arrest after Soweto police rescue woman from alleged hijackers

Briefly News also reported that a woman survived a harrowing ordeals thanks to the hard work of police in Soweto.

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3 Teen girls allegedly murder 23-year-old man over a bottle of gin sparking outrage: “No moral values”

According to a statement on the South Africans Police Service’s Twitter feed, three men hijacked, kidnapped and held an unsuspecting woman hostage on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, in Katlehong.

Police Spokesperson Luitenent Colenel Mavela Masondo said officers from the Soweto flying squad were patrolling in Klipspriut West when they noticed a silver VW Polo driving recklessly. The officers pursued the vehicle, which ended up crashing into another car.

Source: Briefly News