A Portuguese businessman kidnapped last week in the Johannesburg region of South Africa has been rescued alive by South African police (SAPS) in Soweto and five people have been arrested, security forces said on Friday.
The businessman was rescued from the Nancefield hostel in Soweto where he was being held captive and is now with his family.
The man, who runs Watloo butcher’s shop in Johannesburg, was abducted in South Gate last week.
“The man was kidnapped for ransom but the payment was not made due to quick action by the police,” police said.
The rescue operation took place on Thursday and first two suspects, believed to be the drivers of the rescue vehicles, were arrested, followed by another inside the hostel.
Police found two more suspects in a house in White City Soweto who had the victims’ bank cards and wallet.
South African police already rescued another Portuguese businessman from a home in Soweto earlier this week.
The 49-year-old businessman was found on Monday evening after eight days in captivity at a residence in Soweto, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, where he was “tied up”.
Since January, 13 businessmen and at least six students have been rescued without ransom being paid, according to SAPS National Commissioner Fanny Masemola.
“This is a result of the experience and capabilities of our teams. Over the past two years, more than 200 kidnappers have been arrested, all thanks to the dedication of our dedicated teams,” Masemola said.
More than 54 kidnappers operating in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State have been arrested in six months.
Kidnapping crimes involving large sums of money being demanded to rescue victims are on the rise in South Africa, according to South African police.
Since January this year, at least 14 Portuguese-South Africans have been kidnapped in Gauteng province, the epicentre of kidnappings and high levels of crime in the country, said Manny Ferreirinha, leader of the Portuguese-South African NGO Portuguese Forum South Africa.
Speaking to Lusa, Portugal’s ambassador to South Africa, José da Costa Pereira, said on Tuesday that at least 18 Portuguese South Africans had been kidnapped in 2023 in the Gauteng region, where the economic capital Johannesburg is located, and in Pretoria, the country’s capital.
According to the South African government, there are about 200,000 Portuguese citizens and about half a million Portuguese descendants living in South Africa.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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