23-year-old woman linked to kidnapping investigation in Eastern Cape
A young woman has been linked to a kidnapping in the Eastern Cape.
Image: File
A 23-year-old woman from the Eastern Cape appeared in the Qonce Magistrate’s Court on charges of kidnapping.
Authorities believe the arrested suspect orchestrated the kidnapping.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, said the kidnapping took place on April 5, when the 32-year-old victim was abducted by unknown armed suspects in Schonville location in Qonce.
“During the incident, apparently, the victim was accosted, stabbed, and forcefully taken into the boot of the suspect’s vehicle. Thereafter, it was divulged that the victim's Volkswagen Golf 7 GTi was also hijacked, which was later recovered abandoned and burnt to ashes at the Bisho off-ramp near the N2 road,” Mhlakuvana said.
Authorities said their reports reveal that the victim was held hostage for a few days as his cell phone, bank card, and PIN numbers were demanded by the suspects.
The matter was handed over to the Hawks for a thorough investigation.
“An investigation ensued, which established that the perpetrators ostensibly withdrew the victim's cash. An intelligence-driven investigation led to a particular homestead where the victim was kept in the Schonville location. Through cohesive work between the Interim Kidnapping Task Team of the Hawks and the community resulted in a 23-year-old suspect who was positively linked with the said kidnapping incident being arrested. Furthermore, the suspect is presumed to have orchestrated and played a major role in the abovementioned incident,” Mhlakuvana said.
The Hawks said it anticipates more arrests as its investigation continues.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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