THREE days after being kidnapped, a businessman from Lenasia has been safely reunited with his family.
On Tuesday, 15 March, Luqman Kazi (34) was kidnapped on his way to work.
A team was then formed to rescue the victim and capture the kidnappers. According to cops, during a midnight operation on Thursday, the team concurrently pounced on four identified addresses.
At the first address in Lawley, police found and rescued the victim, seized a 9mm unlicensed firearm and arrested three suspects.
Then in other locations in Lenasia, cops arrested three more suspects, including a 43-year-old believed to be the mastermind behind a number of kidnappings in Gauteng.
“Police also seized R6 million in cash, believed to be ransom paid on other kidnappings, an unlicensed AK-47, ammunition, one hijacked car, a VW polo that was used in the kidnapping of the businessman, military grade signal jammers as well as various car registration number plates,” police said in a statement.
The six are facing charges of kidnapping, extortion, money laundering as well as possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition and a hijacked car.
In another unrelated kidnapping case, an intelligence-driven operation led to the rescue of four Bangladeshi nationals in Betrams.
They were kidnapped on Thursday, 10 March, in Musina, Limpopo, and two Ethiopian nationals have since been arrested.
National commissioner General Khehla Sitole applauded the team’s persistent efforts.
