A 60-year-old businessman, kidnapped in Lenasia on 29 May, has been safely rescued following an intelligence-driven operation led by the SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Task Team in Gauteng.
Police spokesperson confirmed that the victim’s family had received ransom demands of at least R15 million shortly after his abduction. After tracking multiple leads, authorities raided a house in Randfontein earlier yesterday, where a shootout erupted between police and the suspects.
Two kidnappers were fatally wounded, while three others were arrested. The businessman was successfully rescued and has since been reunited with his family.
Rising Kidnappings in Gauteng
This case highlights a worrying trend in the province. From January to March 2025 alone, 144 kidnappings involving ransom demands were reported in Gauteng. Over the past two years, the SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Task Team has arrested more than 170 suspects linked to ransom-related abductions across multiple provinces.
In a similar operation last month, a Mozambican kidnapping suspect was shot dead during a police operation to rescue a Pakistani businessman in Fourways.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as investigations into this latest kidnapping continue.
