Police have rescued a businessman nearly a month after his kidnapping in Roodepoort. The 63-year-old was kidnapped at a mosque in Helderkruin, Roodepoort, on the 5th of July 2024.

The SAPS anti-kidnapping task team rescued the man at a house in Lenasia on Wednesday. Eight kidnappers, including three Tanzanian nationals, who are believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate have since been arrested.

The task team has been working on the case and arrested the first two suspects last week.

Additionally, intelligence led the multidisciplinary team to a hotel in East Gate and two apartments in Fourways where they arrested six suspects and seized drugs. The drugs, which is suspected to be crystal meth, is worth approximately R300 million.

This bust comes a day after a Brazillian national was detained at OR Tambo International Airport after police found a parcel of cocaine worth R1 million on the aircraft he was travelling in.

Police were following up on intelligence that a man aboard an identified aircraft from Sao Paulo – Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil was carrying drugs.

“As soon as the identified aircraft landed just before 7am, police identified the mule and took him for questioning while a team searched the aircraft and found a parcel of cocaine worth R1million.”

The cocaine was discovered- wrapped in plastic – leading police to believe that the consignment was strapped to his body. The man who is a Brazilian national has been detained and charged with drug trafficking.

The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola says police are hard at work in dismantling the work of transnational organised crime syndicates.

“Well done to the team. Our men and women in blue remain hard at work in taking down syndicates involved in dealing and the trafficking of drugs. Commendable progress has been registered in recent weeks and we owe those successes to our dedicated police officers and our partners in crime including, private security.”

Masemola added that police will continue to come after those who are involved in the illicit trade of drug trafficking.

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