A woman abducted and held hostage for ransom was safely rescued on Thursday night‚ but three officers were wounded in a shootout with the kidnappers during the cash drop. The 36-year-old woman was kidnapped at her home in Nirvana‚ Polokwane‚ on Tuesday‚ Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement on Friday.The woman was about to park her car when she was grabbed by two men who blindfolded her and forced her into the back of their vehicle before driving off with her.The kidnappers then demanded “a sizeable ransom” from her family.The arrangement was then made that the money would be exchanged between Polokwane and Lebowakgomo on Thursday night. At 8pm‚ the family‚ who had back-up from the Hawks and police officers‚ were on their way to the agreed spot when the kidnappers told them to stop and offload the money at Ga-Chuene near Lebowakgomo.“The kidnappers arrived at the scene‚ got out of their vehicle whilst pointing a firearm to the victim‚” Mulaudzi said.“As they advanced to where the loot was put‚ they realised the presence of police and they started shooting‚ injuring three officers.“The kidnappers then vanished into the bushes‚ leaving the loot and their suspected stolen grey VW Polo at the scene.”The woman was left traumatised but unharmed.Mulaudzi said a manhunt to locate the suspects has been launched and the injured officers are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Polokwane.Last month‚ two men were arrested in Port Elizabeth in connection with the alleged kidnapping of an eight-year-old boy outside his Mill Park daycare centre. The child was returned unharmed to his parents later that night. The Herald reported that police are believed to be investigating a case of extortion and that a ransom demand was made‚ but police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu declined to confirm this.In January‚ the Sowetan reported a businessman from Welgeval village near Rustenburg in North West had to survive on water for seven days while his abductors demanded half-a-million rands ransom for his release. He had been kidnapped by armed men at his shop on New Year’s Eve. Some of his alleged kidnappers have been arrested and police are investigating...