TimesLIVE Investigations found South African kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates emerged after gaining experience from their Mozambican counterparts, who started the scourge.
SA’s kidnapping syndicates are born out of some of Gauteng’s most impoverished townships.
Those allegedly behind them are responsible for some of the country’s biggest and most brazen incidents, including the snatching of 11-year-old Maha Qassim from outside her Johannesburg school in December and the kidnapping of Jahyr Abdulla, the son of Mozambican business tycoon Salemio Abdulla.
Qassim was rescued in January in Soweto, while an emaciated Abdulla was freed in Heidelberg in December.
Despite police scoring major successes in the kidnapping war since 2017, with more than 300 suspects arrested, including police officers, sources say the SAPS cannot stop the scourge because of police corruption and infighting.
“It’s a war out there and we are losing it badly because of corruption and infighting,” said a Hawks officer.
It’s a war out there and we are losing it badly because of corruption and infighting.
— Hawks officer
“These guys are well resourced and financed. They have state-of-the-art cellphone technology to mask their locations, identities and voices. Their software generates fake Whatsapp, Signal and Telegram numbers used in ransom negotiations.
“Not only do kidnappers have access to the latest technology, but they also have tons of crooked cops on their books. We work with outdated cellphone tracking technology and have to rely on private investigators so we can solve these crimes.”
Infighting, sophisticated technology and corruption, say police sources, are the reason for SA’s four-year kidnapping-for-ransom boom.
SA’s mega kidnapping syndicates are run by wealthy Mozambicans, Pakistani transnational organised crime gangs and violent SA career criminals, including CIT robbers and former Rolex gang members. SA-based victims are ransomed for more than R25m.
Police information TimesLIVE obtained shows that between January 2019 and March 2021 85 hostages were rescued in 99 police tactical operations, while three hostages were found murdered. According to the note, another nine kidnappers were arrested in Pakistan and Mozambique. In January police minister Bheki Cele, responding to parliamentary questions, revealed that two police officers were among five standing trial for three kidnappings in Johannesburg’s Bramley, Rosebank and Parkview. The kidnappings occurred between April 2019 and February 2020. He said another two officers were among nine suspects whose kidnapping trial began in the Johannesburg high court in January.
— Kidnappings in numbers
These groups are responsible for the birth of what has become one of SA’s most feared new crime pandemics, with gangs, since 2017, mushrooming from just a handful to more than 30. Included are not only professional kidnappers, but also dozens of violent and amateur copycat syndicates, who sources say are of the greatest concern.
“Mega syndicates are very professional. They don’t go out to deliberately kill their victims, unlike the copycat gangs, who often have little patience for negotiations.”
The majority of SA’s kidnappers, according to police sources, operate from Gauteng.
Earlier this month Indian cigarette business owner Yaseen Bhiku was released after being kidnapped in front of his Lenasia home in January. He was allegedly snatched by a Gauteng-based syndicate.
The majority of the Gauteng syndicates operate from Alexandra, Thembisa, Thokoza, Vosloorus, Alberton, Daveyton, Soweto, Ga-Rankuwa, Mabopane and Mamelodi.
Police say SA’s “most powerful” kidnapping syndicates operate from Alexandra and Johannesburg south.
While TimesLIVE has been given extensive access to police documents mapping alleged syndicate role players, including the relatives of powerful businessmen, it can only name those before court. They are Collin Luyando, Joseph Ngubeni, Ayanda Kekana and Fortune “Gaddafi” Ndlovu.
Two of SA’s biggest syndicates are believed to be run by Alexandra residents Luyando and Ngubeni, and East Rand residents Madlala Thokozane, Mbatha Bandile, Mbatha Sanele and Willy Nkosi.
All are appearing in multiple courts across Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni in February. Luyando, Ngubeni, Thokozane, Bandile, Sanele and Nkosi were back in Johannesburg Magistrates Court on February 17 for allegedly kidnapping Johannesburg businessman Feroze Khan, said Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane
Col Dimakatso Sello, Gauteng’s police spokesperson, said in November: “One suspect, who is believed to be the mastermind of several Gauteng kidnappings, is out on bail for three other kidnappings.”
TimesLIVE understands Luyando, who was arrested at a pub in Daveyton, was also recently rearrested for the kidnapping of a Jordanian businessman and his son.
Mjonondwane said Luyando was due back in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday for another kidnapping, which occurred in Parkview, Johannesburg.
Mjonondwane said their alleged accomplice in the Maha kidnapping, Mozambican Alfredo Jeffrey Hobyane, who was arrested in a joint SA-Mozambique police crime intelligence operation in Xiavane on December 31, was fighting his extradition from that country.
Two independent police sources said Hobyane allegedly conducted the R2.3m ransom negotiation for Maha’s release.
“Hobyane was found with three cellphones containing messages linked to the ransom negotiation and a video of Maha. He is also wanted in connection with three other kidnappings in Gauteng and the robbery of a DSV delivery truck.”
TimesLIVE understands Luyando, Ndlovu and Kekana were also arrested for the kidnapping of Chinese businessman Anso Tang in Mondeor in November 2021. Hobyane is also wanted for the crime.
Tang was released after a R300,000 ransom was paid in Pinetown, outside Orange Farm.
A CI source said some Gauteng syndicates were also being investigated for the kidnapping of Limpopo businessman Shama Pramjee on April 9 2021 and their role in the kidnapping of Polokwane businessman Nazim Moti’s four sons.
He said another large alleged syndicate that was recently taken down was one that targeted Bangladeshis.
In January, Bangladeshis Fazarul “Ali Numan” Alam, Mohamed Ashraful “Shihaab” Rehman, Al Amin and Soleyman Mohammed were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and murdering their countryman and Mpumalanga businessman Reza ul-Amin Moola.
Moola was kidnapped from his Kwaggafontein shop on December 16 and found murdered in Vanderbijlpark on December 26.
The arrest of the four follows the capture of a Pakistani, a policeman and a businessman in Limpopo earlier this month. That trio, Dilpazeer Azam, Rendani Ramaligela and Polokwane police officer sgt Solomon Masipa, was allegedly operating a kidnapping syndicate targeting Bangladeshis.
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