For days, undercover police intelligence agents kept watch at a Johannesburg lodge.
The information was scant.
Ten kidnapped Bangladeshis, victims of a global syndicate that’s been operating in SA for years and who were abducted on January 26, were thought to be inside one of several rooms.
Police said the 10, who were driving on the N1 from the Musina border post to Polokwane, were kidnapped after they were allegedly stopped by police in a marked state vehicle.
“They were the syndicate’s latest victims. They were taken from their vehicle and forced into the police bakkie. They were then driven to a sports stadium in Polokwane, where they were handed over to an Ethiopian. From there they disappeared, until today,” said a police officer.
For weeks crime intelligence agents assisted national SAPS organised and serious and violent crime detectives in tracking the alleged syndicate.
It specialised in snatching foreigners as they crossed the Zimbabwe border into SA, then held them for ransom.
Ransom demands would be made to the hostages’ families overseas, said police.
Last week, officers, working with informants, began searching for properties across Gauteng after learning the hostages were being held near Johannesburg. The problem, said police sources, was timing.
“We were trying to track the ransom negotiator, who we believe is one of the syndicate kingpins. We knew he was calling from around Gauteng, mostly in Pretoria, but we could not locate him.
“We had identified several properties on the East Rand and Johannesburg where the hostages could be held, but we did not want to raid them in case they were not there. If we did, we risked tipping off the syndicate that we were onto them and they would move the hostages, and we would lose them forever,” an officer said.
Last week police made a breakthrough and through cellphone technology zeroed in on the alleged negotiator.
On Sunday police stormed a house in Centurion and arrested Mohammed Dilpazeer Azam, who appeared in the Polokwane magistrate’s court on Thursday. He has been remanded in custody until February 17 for a bail application.
Officers said despite Azam’s arrest, the crisis was not solved.
“He was not co-operating with us. We still didn’t have the hostages or know who was holding them or whether they knew that we had arrested Azam,” an officer close to the investigation said.
Then, earlier this week, police received a tipoff that they were being held at a Bruma lodge and staked out the building.
Officers from Ekurhuleni Metro Police Swat team and Gauteng SAPS K9 Unit members stormed the lodge on Thursday morning.
Inside room 112 officers found six hostages. Inside room 110 they found another four.
A police officer said they had received medical treatment and were being assisted.
“The syndicate that is behind these kidnappings is huge. It is not just one or two people. It involves many, including police. We have solid information on those involved and are going after them.
“CCTV footage from the lodge has been seized and is being analysed to help us identify more suspects. Further arrests are definitely expected.”
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Robert Netshiunda confirmed the rescue and that Azam had been arrested in intelligence-led operations which involved national organised crime detectives, crime intelligence, hostage negotiations, swat teams and private security companies.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspect was making calls to the families of the victims demanding ransom.
“The investigating team operationalised intelligence information which led them to a lodge in Bruma, Johannesburg, where the 10 victims were rescued unharmed. More arrests are imminent.”
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