Kidnapped Portuguese businessman rescued, nine arrested, including a cop

A Portuguese businessman who was kidnapped outside his business premises in Bramley, Johannesburg north, was rescued in Kempton Park.

The 51-year-old businessman was found by the police national anti-kidnapping task team at a house on Tuesday when police arrested suspects involved in the kidnapping syndicate.    

Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said nine suspects have been arrested.

“The anti-kidnapping task team pounced on the address where the businessman had been kept in Kempton Park and arrested four men and a woman.

“At another identified address in Hillbrow, two women and a man were arrested,” she said.

A 41-year-old police officer was arrested at his place of work.

“The syndicate is alleged to be involved in at least five kidnapping cases where Portuguese businessmen were targeted. They would demand ransom payments from the victims' families,” she said.

Mathe said no ransom payment was made at the time when police rescued the latest victim.

National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said while the organisation is disappointed by the arrest of one of its own, it is pleasing that it is ridding itself of corrupt elements.

 “No member of the police service is above the law, irrespective of their rank. Police officers who are found on the wrong side of the law are dealt with accordingly. We will continue to root out rogue police officers from within our ranks,” said Masemola.

The task team has from April until Tuesday arrested 70 suspects in Gauteng alone for being linked to kidnapping cases where ransom demands were being made. 

TimesLIVE