Eastern Cape Task Team Crack Kidnapping Syndicate in 10 Days, Fatally Would 4 Suspects in Shootout

• A Provincial Task Team set up to deal with kidnappings cracked a syndicate in ten days
• Four suspects were fatally wounded during a shootout, while others were arrested
• Police were able to rescue the two victims while also recovering weapons and ammunition

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues.

EASTERN CAPE – Police in the province are celebrating a major success after they cracked down on a kidnapping syndicate.

A Provincial Task Team assigned to two recent kidnapping cases, not only got the victims back but also brought those responsible to book.

SAPS also recovered three stolen vehicles, three unlicensed firearms, and also made several arrests. Four suspects were also fatally wounded.

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Task team tackles kidnapping syndicate

The team, comprising Crime Intelligence, the Hawks, the Provincial Tracing Team, Hostage Negotiators (HNT), the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and the Tactical Response Team (TRT), took just 10 days to crack the syndicate.

They began work after a 34-year-old Chinese national was hijacked and kidnapped on 17 September.

Three days later, a 39-year-old woman was hijacked and kidnapped near Mthatha. Her family then received a call from the suspects, who demanded a ransom.

Not long after, the task team traced members of the syndicate to a house in Qoboqobo, where they fatally wounded four of the suspects and injured another during a shootout. They also recovered unlicensed firearms with ammunition and two stolen vehicles.

Kidnappers release hostages after pressure from police

Two days after the shootout, police arrested a couple also linked to kidnappings.

Realising that police were closing in on them, the kidnappers released the two victims. Police are still investigating further and are confident that they will make more arrests.

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Petrol attendant saves man from kidnapping

Briefly News recently reported on a petrol attendant who risked his own life to foil a kidnapping attempt.

CCTV footage from a BP garage showed a group of men forcefully removing a man at gunpoint from his vehicle.

The petrol attendant then provided a timely distraction, which allowed the man to escape the armed men.

Source: Briefly News