Police rescue kidnapped Egyptian student pilots, suspects remanded
Two suspects who allegedly kidnapped two Egyptian nationals and demanded ransom have been remanded.
Jonathan Swart, 35, and Ronz Matthew, 49, appeared before the Vereeniging magistrate’s court on Monday on charges of kidnapping and extortion.
Huwmin Hitham Kamel Gaber, 19, and Fadi Said Elhadi Mohamed, 31, were rescued on Friday.
Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the two victims, aged 19 and 35 and who are student pilots at an institution in Vereeniging, were allegedly snatched from a club in Primrose, Germiston, on May 14 and their rented vehicle was found abandoned along the R59 route.
Muwmin Hitham Kamel Gaber (19) and Fadi Said Elhadi Mohamed Hamoud (31) - trainee pilots from Egypt are believed to have been kidnapped.
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) May 15, 2022
They left Vereeniging and their rented car was found abandoned on the R59. Anyone with info call 08600 10111 #CrimeStop pic.twitter.com/GklP8vKASo
He said the anti-kidnapping task team established to crack kidnapping cases discovered an upmarket house which was allegedly being used to keep kidnapped victims in Bryanston, Sandton, on Monday afternoon.
“The discovery came as a result of the team following further leads subsequent to last Friday’s arrests of two suspects who allegedly kidnapped two Egyptian nationals and demanded ransom,” he said.
The suspects are expected back in the dock on June 20.
TimesLIVE
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