Police fail to provide reasons why kidnapping kingpin didn't appear in court
The 40-year-old Zambian national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport from his country on Sunday, after police linked him to the recent kidnapping of a businessman in Roodepoort.
Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
JOHANNESBURG - Police have failed to provide reasons for why an alleged kidnapping kingpin did not appear in court on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old Zambian national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport from his country on Sunday, after police linked him to the recent kidnapping of a businessman in Roodepoort.
He was meant to make his first appearance at the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the man they’ve labeled as a kidnapping kingpin still has a case to answer to.
Cops circulated pictures of him on crutches with his left leg bandaged and his face blurred out.
In their initial statement police claimed the suspect was at the helm of a kidnapping syndicate targeting businessmen in South Africa.
They also claim he has links to a R300 million crystal meth drug bust in Fourways earlier this month.
Mathe says police will not comment further at this stage as they don’t want to jeopardise the case that is already before court.
Seven others have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and drug bust.
A 40-yr-old Zambian national was intercepted & arrested at the OR TAMBO International Airport as he landed. The suspect is linked to a kidnapping for ransom syndicate targeting businessmen & linked to the R300 million crystal meth drugs that were seized in Fourways 3 weeks ago pic.twitter.com/2NiUlgLd7B
— Athlenda Mathe (@AthlendaM) August 18, 2024