Cape Town - Six men allegedly behind the brazen kidnapping of a woman and children outside a police station are set to apply for bail at the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court this morning.
A week after the dramatic arrest at a shopping centre in Klapmuts, where police rescued four hostages, including a three-year-old child, the group behind the kidnapping appeared in court.
At the time of the arrest a Daily Voice source revealed the men allegedly took the woman and two children amid allegations that her boyfriend owed them money and demanded a R27000 release.
“The boyfriend is a builder and went to Klapmuts to do a job. He spotted the suspects, who he allegedly owed money to, and he ran away. He was dropped by an e-hailing driver and the suspects got him instead and held him hostage.”
The source further explained that his girlfriend went to Mfuleni police station to report the incident in Klapmuts when the brazen kidnappers walked right into the police station.
“As she was standing inside the police station they came right to her. It appears they had followed her there. She must have been scared because she left the police station with them and, once outside, they forced her into a vehicle. They also took her child and another teen male related to her.”
The alleged snatchers then drove to Klapmuts and started contacting the families of the hostages, demanding that a ransom be paid.
“They contacted her family as well as the driver’s family and demanded R27 000 for their release. A kidnapping case was opened, and that is when the provincial anti-kidnapping task team started investigating.”
The task team, along with the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, the Boland K9 unit and various other units, descended on Klapmuts.
“Undercover agents spotted the vehicle of the driver, who was first kidnapped near Shoprite, and the suspects were seen at an ATM where they were withdrawing the money from the teen’s account.
“The officers noted that they had the hostages in the vehicle and immediately pounced on them. All six suspects were taken to Mfuleni SAPS, where they were charged. None of the hostages were harmed.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the incident and said six suspects aged between 33 and 41 were arrested.
The suspects, who may not be named yet, appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Monday, when they indicated that they would be applying for bail before Christmas.
The case against the men, who are charged with kidnapping, extortion and human trafficking, was postponed to today for the bail hearings to be held.