On Saturday night in Centurion, in Mozambique, a squad from more than six police stations allegedly captured a kidnapping kingpin at a posh estate.
The 50-year-old suspect, a citizen of Mozambique, is allegedly connected to numerous kidnappings that have taken place in both Mozambique and South Africa. The requests for a ransom were made in Mozambique.
“In his possession, the team seized a 9mm licenced firearm, 14 9mm cartridges, five cellphones, multiple bank cards for South African banks as well as multiple SA and Mozambican SIM cards,” police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said.
The team was carrying out an arrest order and extradition request issued by the Mozambican government in July 2022.
He was recognised in numerous instances as the mastermind of a worldwide kidnapping-for-ransom operation that had been active since 2018, according to a police investigation.
The report also stated that details about the potential whereabouts of the suspect, who was traveling between Gauteng, Cape Town, and Mozambique, were obtained from a confidential source.
To find the suspect, investigations were carried out by the Crime Intelligence Kidnapping Unit and other role players, and several surveillance operations were carried out in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga.
According to Mathe, he is scheduled to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, at which point an extradition procedure will get started right away.