A successful day for a multi-disciplinary Anti-Kidnapping Task Team saw the rescue of an 84-year-old British woman and a 20-year-old woman in two separate operations over the weekend, reports Cape {town} Etc.
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The task team – comprising the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit, DPCI and Crime Intelligence – rescued the elderly foreigner in Worcester on Saturday morning.
According to police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk, a case of hijacking and kidnapping was opened after she was abducted at around 12:10pm on La Chasseur Road in Robertson on Friday.
‘Intelligence led to the location of the victim on Saturday, 5 October 2024, at about 9:40am, where she was held in an unoccupied shack in Zwelethemba, Worcester,’ said van Wyk. ‘She was immediately taken to a medical facility for observation.’
Van Wyk added that while no arrests have been made as yet, all leads are currently being pursued.
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In a separate incident, the task team arrested two foreign national males for the kidnapping of a 20-year-old woman and extortion in Stellenbosch, also on Friday.
According to van Wyk, the victim was walking home from a restaurant on Plein Street at around 2:40am when an unknown vehicle with two occupants stopped and kidnapped her.
‘During the course of events, the suspects demanded a ransom from the family of the hostage. The family immediately paid the money whereafter the victim was released on Friday, 4 October,’ said van Wyk.
The young woman was immediately taken for a medical examination and a case for kidnapping and extortion was open for investigation.
After following up on information, a black BMW was identified during the preliminary investigation, and SAP’s Licence Plate Recognition system successfully traced the vehicle to the George area.
The two men, aged 24 and 25, were subsequently detained for further investigation after being found in the vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash and the phone used to make the ransom demand.
The two suspects were charged and are expected to appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrates Court on Monday.
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Picture: Lulama Zenzile / Gallo Images
