A kidnapped hostage was rescued from a rented home in Woodstock.
Woodstock residents were left reeling when a kidnapped hostage was rescued from a rented home in the area.
The victim’s active phone led a multi-disciplinary team, which includes the Hawks and Western Cape organised crime unit, to the area on Friday.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said at about 7pm the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team received information regarding a kidnapping.
“This led the team to tracking the hostage’s phone which was active in the Woodstock area. The team tracked the suspects’ location in Woodstock where entry was gained into the premises and the team discovered the hostage tied up in the main bedroom and was successfully rescued then taken to hospital for examination.
“The tracing later resulted in the arrest of two suspects who attempted to flee the scene,” said Hani.
Further investigation led to an arrest of the third suspect on Saturday who was hiding in the backyard at a nearby residence.
The three suspects aged between 33 and 37 are expected to appear at the Cape Town Regional Court on Tuesday on charges of kidnapping and extortion.
U-Watch Neighbourhood Watch secretary Rob Marshall said they were made aware of the incident when one of their patrollers was driving through the area and noticed a number of officers moving door-to-door.
“They quickly found the correct address and accessed it swiftly, securing the scene and reassuring residents that there was no further risk.
“Members of the community and the neighbours who were on the scene on Friday were impressed with how this rescue was performed. This is the first time that we have seen a crime of this nature in Woodstock. The street in which this happened has a very close community where people know their neighbours by name. We would never expect such a crime to occur and consider it a one-off,” said Marshall.
The neighbourhood watch urged residents to be cautious when renting out their house.
“Always check their profile when booking online and be wary of people with no previous reviews or ratings. Overall, we have seen a significant reduction in crime throughout Woodstock in recent years and we’re happy that SAPS and other law enforcement agencies are successfully holding criminals to account,” said Marshall.
Hawks provincial head Mathipa Makgato urged citizens to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to the police.
Cape Times
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