Eight suspects were arrested by the Free State Provincial Organised Crime unit for extortion after kidnapping victims from Botshabelo and Mangaung, and allegedly withdrawing large sums of money from their accounts. One of the victims was taken to Kimberley during the ordeal.
EIGHT suspects were arrested by the Free State Provincial Organised Crime unit for extortion after kidnapping victims from Botshabelo and Mangaung, and allegedly withdrawing large sums of money from their accounts. One of the victims was taken to Kimberley during the ordeal.
Free State SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli reported that three suspects, aged 56, 50, and a 41-year-old SAPS employee, were arrested in Botshabelo on charges of extortion, kidnapping, and impersonating a police officer.
According to Kareli, on January 30, 2024, a 78-year-old victim was approached at home by an unknown man with a business proposal. The victim and the suspect drove to Bloemfontein to meet another supposed business partner. While driving on the N8 in the direction of Kimberley, they were stopped by a white vehicle and one of the occupants, impersonating a police officer, searched their vehicle and confiscated a black plastic bag containing a powdery substance. The victim was “arrested” and taken to Kimberley. His phone was seized, and a large sum of money was transferred from his bank account before he was released.
In a separate matter, five suspects, aged between 54 and 40, appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on October 9, 2024. These suspects were linked to two kidnapping cases opened in Kagisanong and Kopanong, where victims were forced to deposit large sums of money into unknown accounts by individuals posing as police officers. The cases were reported in September and October 2024.
The provincial commissioner of police in the Free State, Lieutenant-General Baile Motswenyane, urged the community to remain vigilant and avoid trusting strangers making enticing promises, particularly when large sums of money are involved.
“It is unfortunate that our people continue to place their trust in strangers, especially when money is at stake. No one should trust individuals offering unrealistic opportunities,” Motswenyane warned.
