On Tuesday, an unknown armed group in Maputo abducted a man identified by the local press as one of the owners of one of the city’s main furniture stores, adding to the list of kidnappings of businessmen in the city.
The man was intercepted by an armed group at 10:00 am (08:00 am in Lisbon) after parking outside a store on Avenida de Angola, said a private security guard who witnessed the abduction.
“One [dos raptores] got out with an AK-47, ran to the door and ordered the guard and the client to lie down on the floor, taking the victim into a truck with two cabs, he explained to the private STV channel.
Lusa contacted the Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) of the Mozambique Police but received no clarification.
Maputo and other cities in Mozambique, mostly provincial capitals, have again been the scene of a wave of kidnappings since 2020, mostly businessmen or their families.
Republic Attorney General Beatrice Buchili said in May that “certain” police officers, investigators, lawyers and judges are suspected of being involved in the kidnappings, adding that crimes are on the rise with consequences in South Africa.
According to the official, the victims are “constantly blackmailed” even after they are released, continuing to pay sums of money to ensure they are not kidnapped again.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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