Police probes into kidnapping cases turn cold once ransoms paid, says security specialist

While it is good news for victims to be returned unharmed after a kidnapping for ransom incident, security specialist Calvin Rafadi has called on police not to close the cases or let them go cold after a victim has been released.

Speaking to TimesLIVE Premium, Rafadi called for a strong message to be sent by police to perpetrators of such crimes.

“The problem that I have with the kidnapping investigations is once a ransom is paid the docket is cast aside to gather dust, and that is the right time to catch some of the perpetrators and follow the money trail,” Rafadi said.

He conceded some clever tactics used by perpetrators of such crimes made it tough for police to track them. 

“During the time they negotiate or ask for a ransom, they constantly change sim cards. They use the trick of connecting to Wi-Fi and only using data calls. It becomes so difficult for police to catch them quickly.”

In cases where ransom is paid and suspects are caught, police should investigate further and send a strong message to others thinking of perpetrating a similar crime. He expressed concern that as long as nothing is done to pursue the perpetrators, they will move on to the next victim.

“After sharing and spending the money, they will look for the next victim. If a strong message is not sent to go after these syndicates, we will just go around in circles. These people are known, these syndicates are known,” said Rafadi.

In one of the most recent incidents, United Democratic Movement deputy president Nqabayomzi Kwankwa was kidnapped in Cape Town last week, but was safely released after the party paid a R10,000 ransom to his kidnapper. 

According to the UDM, Kwankwa was on his way to Cape Town Airport to catch a flight to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration in Pretoria when he was taken.

His belongings and vehicle were stolen, but the car was later found abandoned.

“I have realised that the kidnappers choose their victims through somebody inside. Most of the time it's an inside job where someone has released information that the person being kidnapped can pay,” Rafadi said.

Rafadi said in some instances, the same informant, if they are not a family member, will stick to the family during the ordeal, monitoring that the payment is made and informing the accomplices on police involvement and progress.

Rafadi gave reasons why police seldom comment when a kidnapping and ransom situation is unfolding. “Most of the time in cases I have investigated, the criminals have an insider. That is why it is very important for the police not to give feedback when they do such investigations.

“In most incidents, you will find somebody within [the family] is the eyes and ears of the kidnappers,” he said.

Rafadi's comments come as the country has seen a spike in the kidnapping for ransom of business people in the last few years.

In a recent incident, business owner Mark Ramos was kidnapped outside his Bulk Pack Butchery in Florida on the West Rand early on Monday morning.

Florida area CPF chairperson Farhaad Sardiwalla said Ramos was kidnapped outside his business by perpetrators travelling in two vehicles.

Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said: “Police don't comment on cases of kidnappings if the victim has not been found because that would be putting the life of the victim in danger.”

CCTV footage depicting the kidnapping has been circulating on social media.

Meanwhile, Rafadi said the police themselves may at times have a hand in kidnapping cases. He advised the police ministry to constantly change the team that deals with kidnapping.

Rafadi said due to sophisticated methods being used by criminals, the task teams investigating kidnappings must be given direct access to investigating tools and red tape must be cut.

“To activate a tracking grabber, you must get three signatures from generals in intelligence. By the time you get the signature the criminals have already changed their sim cards and you can't track them. They must cut the red tape,” he said.

Rafadi said he believed the perpetrators of kidnappings don't intend to kill.

“They only kill when they are confronted by the police and they are cornered, for example, during a shoot-out. Their motive is not to kill but to get whatever money that they can.”

According to Business Times, South Africa is fast becoming one of the world’s kidnap-for-ransom hotspots, and is now ranked sixth globally based on the increasing prevalence of such crimes. 

High net-worth individuals and their families are especially targeted, with the criminals demanding huge ransom amounts for their release, and often netting millions of rand. More than 15,000 kidnappings were reported to the police in the 2022/23 period alone.

The highest ransom paid to date was R150m to secure the release of a kidnapped person, while in another case R72m was extorted in return for freeing a wealthy individual or a member of their family. It’s not clear in which year these were paid. 

During the nine months from April to December 2022, the SA Police Service recorded 11,702 kidnappings, which surpassed the figure of 10,826 from March 2021 to April 2022. In the past 10 years, kidnappings rocketed by 183% from 3,832 in 2012/13 to 10,826 in 2021/22. This upsurge is related to the substantial growth of violent and organised crime.

According to an article published in 2023 on ISS Today, some abductions are committed by sophisticated transnational groups specialising in high-value kidnappings. Local crime groups may carry out copycat attacks when they see the success of high-profile kidnappings.