Two officers from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Region G have been hailed for their quick response and sharp investigative instincts that led to the rescue of a kidnapped businessman and the arrest of two suspects in Lenasia.
In a statement JMPD said: “The incident unfolded on Sunday, 22 February, while officers were on routine patrol along Nirvana Drive. They were flagged down by a concerned community member who reported that his brother had been abducted at gunpoint in Lenasia Ext 13 moments earlier.”
According to JMPD, the officers immediately proceeded to Airborne Street, where witnesses informed them that an Ethiopian shop owner had been forced into a white Nissan 1400 bakkie by two armed men while closing his business.
While interviewing community members and awaiting arrival of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the officers noticed a vehicle matching the description driving past the crime scene. They followed the bakkie to a dead-end street, where the occupants exited and entered a nearby tavern.
Police questioned the suspects and searched the vehicle, where they found three small keys. Although one suspect claimed the keys belonged to a house, officers decided to test them at the victim’s shop. One of the keys unlocked the shop’s security gate, directly linking the suspects to the abduction.
“The two men were immediately placed under arrest. During questioning, they revealed that the victim was being held in Phiri, Soweto,” added the statement.
Officers swiftly proceeded to the identified address, where they found the businessman bound with cable ties around his hands and legs inside a room. Two firearms believed to have been used during the kidnapping were also recovered at the scene.
The victim was safely rescued, and a case docket has since been opened at Lenasia SAPS.
