NPA to add cyber-crime charges against alleged kidnapping syndicate targeting gay men in CT
Three suspects from Soweto in Gauteng are accused of luring unsuspecting gay men on dating app, Grindr.
Suspects of the 'Grindr Gang', an alleged kidnapping syndicate targeting gay men. Picture: Ntuthuzelo Nene/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it intends to add cyber-crime-related charges to the string of charges faced by an alleged kidnapping syndicate targeting gay men in Cape Town.
Three suspects from Soweto in Gauteng are accused of luring unsuspecting gay men on dating app, Grindr.
It's alleged that they would kidnap targets, hold them hostage and extort money from them.
Mlungisi Mbuthu, Bongani Zulu and Zwelakhe Ngwenya appeared at the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Friday and the matter's been postponed to 1 August.
The trio was arrested in Cape Town last month in connection with the kidnapping of a 50-year-old man, who was held hostage at a house in Woodstock.
NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said that the suspects had a pending matter of a similar nature in Gauteng.
However, he said that for now, they were only dealing with the Cape Town cases.
"We haven't asked for all the other cases to be centralised, even the cases outside the province, to be centralised to Cape Town."
Six more victims have since come forward and another case of kidnapping and extortion was on Friday added to the charge sheet.