A 54-year-old bank executive who was reported missing in Edenvale has been reunited with his family after a harrowing kidnapping ordeal. The man was rescued in a multi-location tactical operation, during which a security company, Vision Tactical, also managed to arrest five suspects involved in the kidnapping of the executive and two other victims.
According to Vision Tactical, the victim’s blood-stained vehicle was discovered in Ivory Park, leading to a series of arrests. One suspect was apprehended at OR Tambo airport while attempting to flee with the victim’s phone and a significant amount of money transferred from his account. Additional raids in Tembisa resulted in three more arrests and the recovery of stolen vehicles.
Further investigations led to the discovery of two additional victims being held hostage, including a hijacking victim. A fifth suspect was apprehended at the scene, and all victims received immediate medical attention while forensic teams processed the crime scenes.
In a similar incident last month, two businessmen were rescued by the South African Police Service’s Anti-Kidnapping Task Team after being hijacked and kidnapped in Midrand. The businessmen were forced to surrender their bank cards and PINs, leading to withdrawals of large sums of money from their accounts.
The SAPS task team swiftly responded to the incident, rescuing the businessmen from dense bushes along the R21 and recovering their hijacked Range Rover in Tembisa. Despite the successful rescue operation, the kidnappers managed to evade arrest, prompting a manhunt to bring them to justice.
These recent incidents highlight the ongoing threat of kidnapping and hijacking in South Africa, underscoring the importance of swift and decisive action by law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of the public.
