Police rescue kidnapped Egyptian student pilots, suspects remanded

Two suspects who allegedly kidnapped two Egyptian nationals and demanded ransom have been remanded.

Jonathan Swart, 35, and Ronz Matthew, 49, appeared before the Vereeniging magistrate’s court on Monday on charges of kidnapping and extortion.

Huwmin Hitham Kamel Gaber, 19, and Fadi Said Elhadi Mohamed, 31, were rescued on Friday.

Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the two victims, aged 19 and 35 and who are student pilots at an institution in Vereeniging, were allegedly snatched from a club in Primrose, Germiston, on May 14 and their rented vehicle was found abandoned along the R59 route.

He said the anti-kidnapping task team established to crack kidnapping cases discovered an upmarket house which was allegedly being used to keep kidnapped victims in Bryanston, Sandton, on Monday afternoon.

“The discovery came as a result of the team following further leads subsequent to last Friday’s arrests of two suspects who allegedly kidnapped two Egyptian nationals and demanded ransom,” he said.

The suspects are expected back in the dock on June 20.

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