The 22-year-old was kidnapped this Thursday near his home in the center of Maputo by four men armed with firearms who fired a shot, a source in the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) confirmed.
“The criminals fired a terrifying shot, which allowed them to drag the victim into the car, causing him to flee,” Leonel Muchina, a PRM representative in the city of Maputo, told reporters.
The crime occurred in the center of the capital of Mozambique at 8:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. Lisbon time) as the young man was leaving his house.
Leonel Muchina added that a “crossing of information” is currently taking place with the National Criminal Investigation Service (Cernic) to reach the kidnappers.
It is the second known kidnapping in Maputo since the beginning of this year in which the victims remain in captivity.
Leonel Muchina added that PRM calls on communities to take part in “some kind of atypical movement”, since this could turn out to be a situation of “captivity”.
On February 26, Mozambican authorities detained two people suspected of involvement in two kidnappings that occurred in the capital, Sernik previously said.
“They were arrested and charged with kidnapping, (…) one was arrested on the 17th and the other on the 22nd of this month,” Sernic spokesman Hilario Lole said at a press conference.
The arrest of the two men was based on information authorities provided last week to another kidnapping suspect also in custody.
Sernik then said that work was underway to apprehend other kidnappers, noting that some of them had already been identified, but they had yet to be found and apprehended.
A wave of kidnappings in Mozambique began in 2011, affecting mainly businessmen and their families, with the involvement of police and judges in particular often confirmed in these networks, the consequences of which extend to neighboring South Africa.
After a period of relative stability, cases have again been reported in recent years, mainly in provincial capitals, with a particular focus on Maputo.
On February 11, another businessman was kidnapped in the city of Maputo, a few meters from the Casa Militar, the barracks in charge of protecting the president. This is the second kidnapping this year.
On January 16, a furniture store manager was shot in the stomach during a failed kidnapping attempt by members of the public who threw stones at the perpetrators, a Maputo police spokesman told Lusa at the time.
Since January 2023, Mozambican authorities have detained 38 people involved in a wave of kidnappings in the country, with a total of 13 cases recorded during the same period, according to official data.
Mozambican authorities have repeatedly acknowledged the involvement of police and judges in these crimes, the consequences of which extend to neighboring South Africa, a country with which Mozambique has strong relations.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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