Alleged kidnapping kingpin to appear in court following OR Tambo International Airport arrest
The 40-year-old Zambian national is allegedly behind a spate of kidnappings in the country, where businessmen were targeted.
The man accused of being the kingpin of a kidnapping syndicate will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on 20 August 2024. Picture: @AthlendaM/X
JOHANNESBURG - A 40-year-old kidnapping kingpin will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.
The Zambian national was arrested on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport as he landed from Zambia.
He is allegedly behind a spate of kidnappings in the country, where businessmen were targeted.
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Pictured on crutches with his left leg bandaged, police pounced on the 40-year-old Zambian national at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday.
The man, who cannot be named until he appears before the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning, is said to be the mastermind of a kidnapping syndicate targeting businessmen in the country.
Police said he is also linked to an R300 million crystal meth drug bust by authorities in Fourways in July.
Gauteng has seen a recent spike in kidnappings, with the province recording a 20% increase in cases between October and December 2023.
A recent investigation by Eyewitness News found that since January 2023, some 20 Portuguese butchery owners in the province were kidnapped, with ransom demands starting from R10 million.