Charges of kidnapping‚ extortion and defeating the ends of justice were due to be laid on Wednesday when the woman appeared at Mitchells Plain Magistrate's Court.
She was arrested after a shopping mall exchange deal was negotiated with the alleged kidnappers.
The alarm was raised at 1.15am on Saturday when the Tafelsig woman’s husband reported that he last saw her at 9.20am on Friday when she told him she was going shopping‚ said police spokesman FC van Wyk.
“WhatsApp messages sent to the cellular telephone of the (couple’s) daughter indicated that should the family want to see the victim alive again they must pay a ransom amount to the kidnappers. The victim's cellular telephone was then switched off‚” said Van Wyk.
An operations room was set up at Mitchells Plain police station for hostage negotiators and officers from the special task force and crime intelligence.
“Grabber technology was used to trace the cellular phone of the victim in order to find her location. Members scouted the area but were unsuccessful‚” said Van Wyk.
A R10-million ransom demand was received at 8am on Sunday‚ and on Monday the special task force raided houses in the Mitchells Plain suburbs of Portlands and Eastridge‚ but the victim could not be found.
“On Tuesday it was reported that the victim was spotted in the vicinity of the Promenade Mall‚ Mitchells Plain. An exchange deal was negotiated with the alleged kidnappers‚” said Van Wyk.
“Mitchells Plain detectives were deployed in the vicinity of a fast-food outlet at the Promenade Mall. The victim was spotted by Mitchells Plain detectives and she started running from them but they apprehended her in AZ Berman Drive‚ Lentegeur.
“The victim was interviewed by the investigation officer and it came to light that she wanted to see if her family loves her. No other suspects were involved.”
-TMG Digital/Sunday Times
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