By Everson Luhanga
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe announced that five people were arrested for trying to kidnap someone in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.
The group includes two South Africans, two Ugandans, and one Malawian.
The arrests happened after a successful police operation that stopped the kidnapping before it could happen.
The police had been investigating a plan where a South African woman wanted to have her boss kidnapped so they could force him to withdraw a lot of money from his business account.
Brigadier Mathe explained that the police set up a fake kidnapping with the help of the intended victim. This allowed them to catch the suspects while they were getting ready to collect the fake ransom money.
The arrests happened on Friday in Melrose Arch.
During the operation, the police seized three cars—a Range Rover, a Toyota Aygo, and a white Polo Vivo—along with ten cell phones.
The suspects now face charges for planning to kidnap and extort money.
General Fannie Masemola, the head of the police, praised the teams involved for carefully planning the operation and making sure the victim was never in real danger.
He also said that the police are continuing to investigate whether these suspects are connected to other kidnappings, especially those involving ransom demands.
General Masemola also thanked private security and other teams for helping to make the operation successful.
Pictured above: The arrested suspects.
Source: SAPS
