A police source said the man was hijacked in January by a group of armed men who forced him to transfer R50,000 to them.
A few months later, the man was allegedly accosted by a hitman.
“The hitman said he was going to shoot him if he didn't give him R50,000. He did that. In May, the man was hijacked, and they drove with him somewhere in Umkomaas. In Umkomaas, they took him to the bank where they were working with a bank employee.
“The suspects and the bank employee were in communication along the way and at the bank, the employee helped them to transfer money from the victim's other accounts to the main savings account. The wife found out that her husband had been kidnapped and called the bank to freeze her husband’s account. After learning that the account had been frozen, the suspects let the man go,” said a source.
The man then opened a case of extortion and kidnapping.
The suspects then attempted to kidnap the wife and went to her family home in Inanda on Wednesday. However, she wasn't there and instead, the men allegedly kidnapped her sister's granddaughter. They demanded the wife submit an affidavit to unfreeze her husband’s account.
However, they were arrested on Friday and the girl was reunited with her family.
Mhlongo said the suspects are expected to appear in the Ntuzuma magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Mhlongo said more arrests are expected.
- This story has been edited after updated information from the Hawks. An earlier version referred to the beneficiary as a woman.
TimesLIVE
Trio arrested for allegedly kidnapping and trying to extort RAF beneficiary
Reporter
Image: 123RF/BELCHONOK
Three suspects, including a bank employee, have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and trying to extort money from a man who had received a Road Accident Fund (RAF) payout.
The suspects, aged between 23 and 38, were arrested on Friday by a team comprising the Hawks, special task force, crime intelligence, district trio task team, Inanda detectives and hostage negotiators.
Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Lt-Col Simphiwe Mhlongo said the trio had allegedly kidnapped the beneficiary's niece in Ohlange, Inanda.
The incident came after three attempts to extort money from the man earlier in the year.
Mhlongo said preliminary investigations revealed in January and May this year the suspects allegedly kidnapped and tried to extort money from the man.
“The suspects allegedly colluded with one of the suspects, the bank employee, and transferred funds from the victim’s bank account,” he said.
A police source said the man was hijacked in January by a group of armed men who forced him to transfer R50,000 to them.
A few months later, the man was allegedly accosted by a hitman.
“The hitman said he was going to shoot him if he didn't give him R50,000. He did that. In May, the man was hijacked, and they drove with him somewhere in Umkomaas. In Umkomaas, they took him to the bank where they were working with a bank employee.
“The suspects and the bank employee were in communication along the way and at the bank, the employee helped them to transfer money from the victim's other accounts to the main savings account. The wife found out that her husband had been kidnapped and called the bank to freeze her husband’s account. After learning that the account had been frozen, the suspects let the man go,” said a source.
The man then opened a case of extortion and kidnapping.
The suspects then attempted to kidnap the wife and went to her family home in Inanda on Wednesday. However, she wasn't there and instead, the men allegedly kidnapped her sister's granddaughter. They demanded the wife submit an affidavit to unfreeze her husband’s account.
However, they were arrested on Friday and the girl was reunited with her family.
Mhlongo said the suspects are expected to appear in the Ntuzuma magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Mhlongo said more arrests are expected.
TimesLIVE
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