MPUMALANGA police have arrested four people, including a teenage girl, who were allegedly involved in syndicates operating abduction scams
Their arrest follows the abduction of people entering South Africa from Mozambique and seeking transport to various destinations.
Two men and a teenage girl were arrested at Naas village near Komatipoort on Friday morning, while the fourth suspect was arrested at Tonga in the Nkomazi district on Saturday.
This brought to 10 the number of suspected kidnappers arrested this year. Three men and three women were arrested in March.
Some of the captives end up in taxis operated by members of the syndicates who take them to villages around the border area and rob them of their belongings. Women and children captives are allegedly repeatedly raped by their kidnappers.
One unfortunate captive is a young woman who is in a critical condition after she was allegedly repeatedly raped by her captors.
Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Hlathi said it was difficult to estimate the number of victims. He said investigations started after police received complaints from freed captives who had paid the demanded ransom money.
Hlathi said two women and seven men were kidnapped recently and only one was released after he paid slightly more than R800. The freed man had to leave his partner behind as the ransom money was only enough for one person. The man alerted police but they could not find the other eight captives. In the process the three were arrested.
On Saturday the investigating officer received a call from a family accommodating and nursing a 22-year-old victim who had managed to escape from her captors. She led police to a house where they were held. A 43-year-old alleged kidnapper found there was nabbed.
Hlathi urged victims of such kidnappings to contact Warrant Officer David Mdaka on the mobile phone number 082-469-2384.
The suspects are due to appear in the Tonga magistrate's court today.
Cops bust ring of border kidnappers
MPUMALANGA police have arrested four people, including a teenage girl, who were allegedly involved in syndicates operating abduction scams
Their arrest follows the abduction of people entering South Africa from Mozambique and seeking transport to various destinations.
Two men and a teenage girl were arrested at Naas village near Komatipoort on Friday morning, while the fourth suspect was arrested at Tonga in the Nkomazi district on Saturday.
This brought to 10 the number of suspected kidnappers arrested this year. Three men and three women were arrested in March.
Some of the captives end up in taxis operated by members of the syndicates who take them to villages around the border area and rob them of their belongings. Women and children captives are allegedly repeatedly raped by their kidnappers.
One unfortunate captive is a young woman who is in a critical condition after she was allegedly repeatedly raped by her captors.
Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Hlathi said it was difficult to estimate the number of victims. He said investigations started after police received complaints from freed captives who had paid the demanded ransom money.
Hlathi said two women and seven men were kidnapped recently and only one was released after he paid slightly more than R800. The freed man had to leave his partner behind as the ransom money was only enough for one person. The man alerted police but they could not find the other eight captives. In the process the three were arrested.
On Saturday the investigating officer received a call from a family accommodating and nursing a 22-year-old victim who had managed to escape from her captors. She led police to a house where they were held. A 43-year-old alleged kidnapper found there was nabbed.
Hlathi urged victims of such kidnappings to contact Warrant Officer David Mdaka on the mobile phone number 082-469-2384.
The suspects are due to appear in the Tonga magistrate's court today.
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