IS-linked suspect held in C-Max

ONE OF the suspected Islamic State-linked kidnappers of Rod and Rachel Saunders has been moved to a super-maximum security prison this week, as the search for the Cape Town-based British botanists, now into its 35th day, continues to frustrate the police.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a police search party combed the Ngoye Forest Reserve with park rangers yet again.

But as in all previous weekly searches of the area near Mtunzini, 130km north of Durban, it yielded no clues about where the couple were possibly murdered or where their bodies might be buried.

Meanwhile, Sayfydeen Aslam Del Vecchio, 38, arrested on February 10 with his wife, Fatima Patel, 27, on IS-linked terrorism charges as well as the kidnapping, assault and robbery of the Saunders couple, was relocated this week from Durban’s medium-security Westville Correctional Centre to Kokstad’s Ebongweni C-Max Prison. The hi-tech fortress is home to the country’s most dangerous prisoners.

Patel, Del Vecchio and third suspect in the case, Thembamandla Xulu, 19, all appeared last week in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court for a bail application hearing. They were remanded and are expected to appear again on March 22.

Meanwhile, the source also revealed that the search for the Saunderses had been hampered by Del Vecchio not clarifying his encrypted text messages to Patel and another contact, “Bazooka”, identified as Malawian Ahmad Jackson Mussa – now on the run from police – that identified the British couple as the target of their plot.

Investigators speculate that they were being held by Bazooka and that the couple were probably murdered once Del Vecchio and Patel confirmed Rachel had given them the correct bank card PIN.

Police have appealed to the Malawian community in South Africa to assist them trace Bazooka. Tip-offs can be provided anonymously on 0860 10111, by SMS to crime line 32211 or Colonel Flynn on 079 886 6792.