Seven Arrested Following Kidnapping Of Chinese Businesswoman

Seven suspects have been apprehended in connection with the kidnapping of a Chinese businesswoman in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Hawks, specifically the Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, alongside Crime Intelligence Technical Surveillance, Special Task Force, Durban Metro Police, and Counter Narcotics, conducted the arrests last week, assisting in restoring order in the area.

Kidnapping Incident

The 46-year-old businesswoman was kidnapped in September while closing her bottle store in Kokstad. According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, she was accosted by suspects, aged between 21 and 48, who forced her into her vehicle.

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Her vehicle was later found abandoned in the Bhongweni area of Kokstad, and her security guard was released nearby, leaving the suspects to disappear with the victim.

Demands and Investigation

A case of kidnapping was reported at the Kokstad police station, and the Hawks took on the case for thorough investigation. On the following day, the suspects made a ransom demand of R15 million. After negotiations, R305,000 was paid, yet the victm was not released.

A second ransom demand for R1.2 million was later made, prompting the Hawks to intensify their investigation. Their efforts culminated in the identification and arrest of a suspect on November 6, 2024.

Fortunately, the businesswoman was found alive and transported to a hospital for medical examinations. Major General Lesetja Senona, the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s provincial head, praised the involved members for their dedication and teamwork, expressing confidence that further arrests will follow.

Separate Foiled Kidnapping

In August, five suspects, three of them were foreign nationals, were apprehended in Johannesburg following a failed mock kidnapping for ransom attempt.

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Two South Africans, two Ugandans, and one Malawian were handcuffed in Melrose Arch during an intelligence-led operation aided by private security and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a police spokesperson, said Crime Intelligence and organised crime operators had received information about a South African lady who was planning to abduct her boss and force her to withdraw huge quantities of money from her business bank account.

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