Woman Among 7 Arrested in Kokstad After Chinese Businesswoman Kidnapped

• Seven suspects will appear in the Kokstad Magistrate's Court, charged with kidnapping a Chinese businesswoman
• The victim was abducted at her business in Kokstad on 30 September 2024, and a ransom was paid for her release
• The suspects, aged 21 to 48, including a woman arrested as the first accused, will appear on Monday, 11 November
• Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Simphiwe Mhlongo told Briefly News that an identity parade would still take place

PORT SHEPSTONE — The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), alongside other law enforcement agencies, arrested seven kidnapping suspects and rescued a Chinese businesswoman in KwaZulu-Natal.

Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Simphiwe Mhlongo told Briefly News that the group will appear in the Kokstad Magistrate's Court on Monday, 11 November 2024, with more arrests imminent.

1 Woman among 7 arrested for kidnapping

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He said the directorate, in conjunction with Crime Intelligence Technical Surveillance and Counter Narcotics, Special Task Force, and the Durban Metro Police Service (DMPS), arrested a female, the first in the case, on 6 November.

She appeared in the Kokstad Magistrate's Court on 8 November. Mhlongo said six more suspects, aged 21 to 48, were arrested in between.

The Chinese national, 46, abducted while closing shop at her business, a bottle store in Kokstad, on 30 September, was rescued in Port Shepstone.

"The victim and her security guard were taken in her vehicle, later found abandoned in the Bhongweni area of Kokstad. The [suspects] dropped off the security guard and sped off, leaving with the victim," said Mhlongo.

"A kidnapping case was registered at Kokstad police station [and] the Hawks took over. [An initial] ransom demand of R15 million came in one day after the abduction. However, negotiations led to R305,000 being paid."

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He said despite agreeing, the suspects did not release the victim.

"They contacted the victim's family again last week, demanding a R1.2 million ransom," said Mhlongo.

Her eventual rescue came soon afterwards, and she was taken to hospital for medical examination.

Mhlongo said an identity parade still needed to be conducted.

"More arrests are expected, and the directorate will not divulge any more information so as not to compromise the investigation."

Source: Briefly News