Africa-Press – South-Africa. Johannesburg police arrested four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate that targets the LGBTQIA+ community.
The men allegedly used the dating app Grindr to find targets, who were lured to secluded places, before they were kidnapped and robbed, according to national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
On Sunday, a 26-year-old man who had been chatting to one of the arrested suspects was hijacked, kidnapped and robbed of his belongings, including his bank card, Mathe said.
“The suspects proceeded to make several purchases with the victim’s bank cards,” said Mathe.
“As soon as the matter was reported at the Mondeor police station, the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team operationalised information and swooped in on the four men who were meeting at [a Parktown] restaurant on the same day of the kidnapping.”
It is alleged that the men had the victim’s belongings.
However, the hijacked vehicle, a Mercedes C180, has not yet been recovered.
According to Mathe, the victim was reunited with his family.
The four men – Thabo Ndlovu, 33; Ndumiso Mahlangu, 27; Sibusiso Tshabalala, 27; and Elson Nyati, 25 – appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on charges of hijacking, kidnapping and extortion.
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