Kidnapped Baby Mogamat Imaad Shamar Found Safe In Mitchells Plain; Woman Arrested

Western Cape police have confirmed the safe recovery of 12-day-old baby Mogamat Imaad Shamar, who was kidnapped from a shopping mall in Bellville on Saturday, June 28. The dramatic rescue took place on Monday, June 30, when a multidisciplinary police team traced the infant to a home in Mitchells Plain.

Captain Frederick van Wyk said the team had worked “tirelessly” after the kidnapping was reported to Bellville SAPS.

“Owing to the meticulous investigation and the analytical approach to the information at their disposal, the team pounced on an address in Honolulu Street in Tafelsig on Monday, June 30, 2025, where they found the child and in the process detained a 37-year-old female for kidnapping,” he said.

Mother Left Baby in Woman’s Care During Brief Illness

The incident unfolded while the baby’s mother and the suspect were out together at the Middestad Mall. The mother, who began to feel nauseous, left her newborn in the care of the woman she was with and went to the bathroom.

But when she returned, both the woman and her baby were gone. She immediately reported the incident to police.

“The mother and the baby were at a local shopping complex in Bellville when she became nauseous. She left the child in the care of a woman who was with her when she went to the bathroom. Upon her return, the mother was unable to locate the woman and her baby,” van Wyk said.

Suspect Allegedly Posed as Support Worker for Young Mothers

According to preliminary reports, the woman had made contact with the mother before the baby was born, claiming to work for an organisation that supported young mothers through counselling and care packages.

Authorities say the suspect will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court soon to face charges related to the kidnapping.

---

For SA News Follow SurgeZirc SA on Facebook,  X and Instagram