The South African Police Service (SAPS) apprehended a 40- year-old Zambian national at the OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday morning (18 August. Reports indicated that the man is a suspected ringleader of a kidnapping syndicate, which lead the SAPS to intercept his arrival from Zambia.

The SAPS indicated it had been observing his movements and links to a kidnapping syndicate operating in Johannesburg. The suspect has specifically been linked to the kidnapping of a 63-year-old businessman kidnapped in Helderkruin, Roodepoort, in July. The victim was rescued on the same day, with the SAPS discovering R300 million worth of crystal meth during the same operation, at two properties in Fourways and a hotel in Bruma.

It is alleged that the suspect is linked to the drugs that were seized, and he is expected to be charged alongside eight other suspects arrested for the kidnapping and the drugs recovered.

The suspect was arrested by a multidisciplinary team led by the SAPS anti-kidnapping task team, counterintelligence, detective services, JMPD K-9 unit, Flying Squad and private security.