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- Gauteng police have arrested a man they believe to be the mastermind behind several kidnappings.
- During an operation on Thursday, a Lenasia businessman was rescued.
- Police found R6 million in cash, believed to be the ransom from other kidnappings.
Police have arrested an alleged kidnapping mastermind in Lenasia while rescuing a local businessman who had been abducted days earlier.
Lenasia businessman Luqman Kazi has been reunited with his family, three days after he was forcefully taken by kidnappers. The 34-year-old businessman was snatched while on his way to work on Tuesday.
READ | Kidnapping of Cape Town businessman highlights rise in number of cases
During a "midnight take-down operation" on Thursday, police visited four properties. At the first address in Lawley, they found and rescued the victim, seized an unlicenced 9mm firearm and arrested three people, said police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe.
At a second address, in Lenasia, officers arrested three more people.
One of them was a 43-year-old Mozambican national believed to be the mastermind behind a number of kidnapping cases in Gauteng, said Mathe.
"Police also found and seized R6 million in cash which is believed to be ransom paid on other kidnapping cases, an unlicenced AK-47 rifle, ammunition, one hijacked motor vehicle, a VW polo that was utilised in the kidnapping of the businessman, military-grade signal jammers as well as various vehicle registration number plates."
#sapsHQ Another mastermind arrested, R6 MIL in cash seized, victim rescued. A Lenasia businessman has been safely reunited with his family, three days after he was kidnapped. 6 Suspects arrested. MEhttps://t.co/DE3MkSpDJy pic.twitter.com/3XOt3fzCS4
— SA Police Service ???? (@SAPoliceService) March 18, 2022
The six men are facing charges of kidnapping, extortion, money laundering, possession of unlicenced firearms and ammunition, as well as possession of a hijacked vehicle.
In an unrelated kidnapping case, an intelligence-driven operation led to the rescue of four Bangladesh nationals in Betrams, Gauteng. The four were kidnapped on Thursday 10 March in Musina, Limpopo.
Two Ethiopian nationals have since been arrested.
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