Quick-thinking by Brakpan Visible Policing officers has led to the arrest of four men on Wednesday, September 25, when they reacted to an anonymous tip-off of a kidnapping in progress in Brakpan CBD.
Gauteng South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said the tip-off was that four men were attacking an individual on the streets that morning. He was then seen being shoved into a vehicle and quickly driven away.
“The police responded and searched for the suspects. They spotted the vehicle matching the description and attempted to stop it. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated, and high speed chase ensued. The suspects were cornered and ordered to get out of the vehicle,” Masondo said.
Masondo said the cops discovered a person inside the vehicle who was bleeding and had injuries to his face.
A preliminary enquiry found that the four suspects are allegedly responsible for attacking and kidnapping the injured man.
All four suspects, who were discovered with a replica firearm, were detained and charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and kidnapping, while the victim was sent to the nearest medical care facility for treatment.
In another kidnapping case in Gauteng, a couple from Bethlehem, Pastor Phillip Mashudu, 55, and his wife, Elsie Matlou Mashudu, 54, also survived an ordeal.
After failing to show up at church, the pair was reported missing. Authorities discovered them uninjured at a property in Everton. Following this, four suspects were arrested.
At the house where the couple were held, police recovered multiple bank cards, a large sum of cash, and a plastic gun.
IOL