Police have rescued a 43-year-old kidnapping victim and arrested eight suspects in connection with the case. The incident happened on January 9 when the victim was travelling with his wife from work towards Booysens, and they were accosted by four-armed men driving a Toyota Quantum. The victim was forced into the suspects’ vehicle, leaving his wife behind, who immediately contacted police, said provincial spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.
“A kidnapping case was registered at Kliptown Police Station, and resources were immediately mobilised to locate the victim,” she added. Nevhuhulwi said that after the kidnapping, the family began receiving ransom threats, and police soon uncovered unauthorised withdrawals from the victim’s bank account. Through intelligence operations, authorities were also able to trace the suspects via their cellphones.
“Through intelligence methodologies and technology, the suspects’ cellphones were traced, and it was also established that the suspects operate in Jeppe Hostel, Nancefield Hostel, and Mzimhlophe Hostel in Soweto. On 17 January 2026, the team promptly operationalised the information, and four suspects were traced and arrested at Jeppe Hostel,” she added. Nevhuhulwi also revealed that further investigations connected the suspects to two additional kidnappings reported last year in Jeppe and Diepsloot. This led to the arrest of four more suspects, three in Diepsloot, and one in Orlando, who was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
