Police have in the past week rescued two kidnapped businessmen, arrested seven kidnappers and seized firearms, cell phones and vehicles used in the commission of the crimes.

On Saturday 7 December, a Chinese businessman was hijacked and kidnapped in Springs, Ekurhuleni.

Within 24 hours, a multi-disciplinary team operationalised intelligence, which led them to the location of the kidnappers.

The team intercepted the kidnappers’ vehicle, an Audi A3, at an intersection in Lenasia and arrested two suspects on Sunday.

The team then proceeded to an address in Meriting, where they arrested one more kidnapper and rescued the businessman.

In an unrelated incident, on 1 December 2024, another businessman was hijacked and kidnapped in Wierdabrug, Tshwane.

The victim’s vehicle was later recovered in the area of Heuweloord.

Intelligence led a multi-disciplinary team to recover the kidnappers’ vehicle, a Jeep, which was left abandoned in a garage in Nellmapius, Tshwane.

The team followed up on a lead, which led them to an address in Mamelodi, where they arrested four suspects and rescued two kidnapped victims. Firearms, cell phones, a Jeep SRT8 and a Hyundai Getz were seized.

Investigations in both these cases are still ongoing.

“These operations would not have been successful without the assistance of other law enforcement agencies including private security,” said the South African Police Service in a statement.