Four suspects arrested after intelligence-led operation
Key Points:
- Police arrested four suspects involved in the kidnapping of a Pakistani businessman in Gauteng.
- Intelligence-driven operation led to the rescue of the victim.
- In a separate case, an Eastern Cape businesswoman was rescued after being kidnapped for six days.
Police rescued a 55-year-old Pakistani businessman and arrested four alleged kidnappers on Thursday in Gauteng, following an intelligence-driven operation. Two South African nationals and two Pakistani individuals were apprehended in separate locations across the province.
Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, a police spokesperson, confirmed that the operation also led to the seizure of an illegal handgun and a vehicle.
Preliminary reports indicate the businessman was kidnapped in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape, earlier last month by a group posing as immigration officials. They reportedly escorted him to the nearest police station, but he never returned home. His family reported the incident to authorities after the kidnappers demanded a ransom for his release.
Intelligence-driven Operation Led To RescueÂ
Following intelligence gathering, a multi-disciplinary team composed of National Crime Intelligence, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, the Soweto Flying Squad, and private security services worked together to capture one of the suspects in Killarney. The arrest led investigators to the victim’s location in Evaton, where two more kidnappers were arrested. A fourth alleged kidnapper was later apprehended in Benoni.
The four individuals are expected to appear in a Magistrate’s Court soon. Investigations are ongoing.
In a related incident, an Eastern Cape businesswoman, Juan Yang, was rescued after being kidnapped for six days in February. Yang, 43, was abducted on February 13, 2025, while en route to Kenako Mall in Port Elizabeth to close one of her businesses. Police later found her abandoned vehicle, a white Volkswagen Polo, in Sakela Street, KwaZakhele.
The case has been transferred to the Hawks, with spokesperson Colonel Avele Fumba noting that Yang’s sudden disappearance and loss of communication prompted immediate law enforcement action.
