Kidnappings a ‘national sport’

THE police’s specialised anti-kidnapping unit is working as far afield as Mozambique in the hopes of tracing the masterminds behind kidnapping cases – especially where ransom demands are being made.

This comes in the wake of 40-yearold Khalid Parker’s murder yesterday in an alleged attempted kidnapping. Parker is the son of Serjaaj Parker, the owner of Primrose Café in Lansdowne.

Parker was shot in the head while crossing Imam Haron Road just after 10am after he was confronted by three unknown men who fled the scene.

A well-placed source in the police confirmed detectives were in possession of CCTV footage, adding that an arrest was imminent.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said Lansdowne police registered a murder case for investigation and that the motive for the attack was yet to be established.

National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said the Western Cape had been identified as a kidnapping hot spot.

“There are several groupings involved in these crimes and police are pleased to announce we are infiltrating and arresting those behind the spate of kidnappings. Hot spot provinces are Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.

“The police do not encourage the payment of ransom demands because this won’t always guarantee that the victim will be found well and alive.

“We encourage communities to immediately bring it to the attention of the SAPS if any family member has been kidnapped so we can ensure our multidisciplinary teams are immediately activated to rescue the victims who have been kidnapped.

“We do not encourage families directly communicating with captors as this may put the lives of the victims at risk.

“We do assure South Africans that we have highly capable teams in place and hostage negotiators who are able to handle these cases,” said Mathe.

Private investigator Brad Nathanson put the kidnapping trend down to the state of the country.

“Not so long ago kidnapping was unheard of in South Africa,” he said.

He warned that “as more and more of these kidnappers get paid and get away with this crime, more people will be kidnapped” in what he called a new “national sport”.

For the first quarter, the 30 most affected police stations were one in Mpumalanga, seven in KZN and 22 in Gauteng. The Gauteng region alone recorded an increase from 189 cases reported between January and March of 2021, up to 723 cases for the same period in 2022, said Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.

With the increase in kidnappings, brokers are offering insurance against kidnapping, but the industry has been tight-lipped about this product because of its sensitivity. Whether it’s wise or not to take it out is a subject for debate.

Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee noted that the number of kidnappings had increased in recent months.

“Insurance cover can be helpful, but it must be done confidentially. Those who are vulnerable need to consider it.”

Private investigator Mike Bolhuis said taking out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom had good and bad sides.

“I believe in insurance, so I would say, yes,” said Bolhuis.

“We as specialist investigators would say it is a good thing if you are in the slightest way concerned that, because of your worth, you are a target for criminals.

“But in the same breath, I would also say that the insurance companies should have very strong documented contracts, for which only after a thorough and in-depth investigation of such a kidnapping, and if it is factually correct, the insurance companies do a payout.

“There needs to be forensic polygraphs and a thorough and in-depth investigation as well as risk analysis before the insurance company pays out on these policies that cover kidnappings.

“You cannot just take a (police case) CAS number and expect to be paid out, like in other insurance situations. This is something that needs to be investigated thoroughly to prevent corruption seeping through.”

Bolhuis said it was also possible those considering taking out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom could become bigger targets for criminals.

“The kidnappers know there is insurance, so they will know for a fact that they will get paid, so there is a target on your back,” he warned.

“We need to be very careful; criminals of today are knowledgeable and will know if you are insured,” he said.

Institute for Security Studies criminologist Lizette Lancaster said she was unsure whether it would be a good or bad idea for South Africans to take out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom.

“I have no evidence to suggest whether it is a good idea or not,” she said. “The quarterly statistics have shown a substantial increase in kidnapping cases over the past year, however.”

Also in the Western Cape, two weeks ago, businessman Kater Akter Pradhan, 37, was kidnapped.

The kidnappers made a ransom demand and released footage of him in a battered state.

Pradhan is the owner of Cheaper Chips Cash & Carry in Mitchells Plain.

Last month, Shanawaaz Asghar, 5, was snatched by six unknown men while walking to school with a relative in Kensington and was returned home within 48 hours.