Tourist robbed by Mpumalanga ‘blue light gang’ vows not to return to South Africa

Canadian CEO Sean Stephens, who was allegedly abducted and robbed by four bogus police officers while on holiday in Mpumalanga, has vowed not to return to South Africa after their planned wildlife experience went horribly wrong.  

Stephens and his family were allegedly held captive at gunpoint by suspects masquerading as police officers in Mbombela on January 6. 

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli said they were investigating a case of robbery with a firearm in which five victims were robbed of their items while driving next to the high court in Mbombela on the N4. 

He said four armed suspects were driving in a bakkie which reportedly had blue lights. The suspects allegedly flashed the blue lights and cornered the victims, who were held at gunpoint.

"The suspects allegedly demanded items from their victims. They were then taken to nearby ATMs where the suspects somehow obtained PIN codes from the victims and withdrew an undisclosed amount of cash," he said.

He said items taken from the victims included mobile phones, jewellery, cash and bank cards before the suspects left the victims in the Masoyi policing area outside Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit).

"Investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made yet."

Talking to eNCA from his home country, Stephens said the suspects were wearing a vest which clearly showed police on it and they drove him and his family to a grassy open area with a cliff. 

"When I saw that, I went 'they are going to shoot us and throw us over the cliff', which they threatened to do. They demanded to see a wallet, they demanded all our stuff, and they started yelling at my children.  

"They started doing other things. They took my wallet, which I was happy to give them, and took each card from my wallet and put a sticker on it and asked me for my pin codes.  I gave them my pin codes and they said if the pin codes are wrong we going to kill you and rape your daughter," he said.

He told the news channel they were driven to three towns as suspects stopped at ATMs before they were set free. 

"We stopped at a gas station and they put in gas. We stopped at a club. You could hear the thumping of the music. They went to places where I presumed there were ATMs while we were in the back of the pickup truck," he said.

BNN Breaking reported Stephens sustained a concussion during the ordeal and was seeking counselling for his family. The publication reported he was relieved to be back in Canada but was anxious about his mother’s non-profit organisation, which is in financial crisis after the incident.

York Region reported Stephens and his family were returning from Eswatini when they stopped to fill up with petrol in Mbombela. As they were leaving the petrol station Stephens was pulled over by a vehicle with flashing blue lights.

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