Hawks Disrupt Operation Leads to Apprehension of 44-Year-Old Suspect
EASTERN CAPE – In a joint operation conducted by the Provincial Kidnapping Task Team of the Hawks, Mthatha National Intervention Unit (NIU), and Mthatha Criminal Local Record Centre (LCRC), a 44-year-old law firm clerk was arrested on 18 January 2024 for alleged involvement in a kidnapping incident that occurred in Tsolo.
The suspect, identified as a clerk at a prominent law firm in Mthatha, was apprehended following a disruptive operation authorized by a warrant of arrest. The operation unfolded after a comprehensive investigation by the Hawks’ team, linking the suspect positively to the kidnapping incident that transpired on 03 November 2023.
Details of the Allegations
The victim, who had recently received a pay-out from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) through legal representation in Mthatha, became the target of a sinister plot. On 3 November 2023, the suspect, posing as someone owed money by the victim, visited the victim’s home in Tsolo. Simultaneously, reports surfaced that another individual, claiming to be an official from RAF, also visited the victim’s residence.
Later that day, the suspect’s boyfriend arrived at the victim’s home in a silver Volkswagen Polo. The victim was coerced into the vehicle, along with his identity documents and bank cards, before being driven away to an unknown location. Subsequently, on 5 November 2023, the victim disclosed that he was released in Beaufort West, Western Cape, after being forced to make several transactions and cash transfers amounting to a loss of R290,000.
Arrest and Investigation
The disruptive operation executed the warrant of arrest on 18 January 2024, leading to the apprehension of the law firm clerk. The investigation revealed that the suspect played a significant role in supplying information to her boyfriend, thereby facilitating the kidnapping. The motive behind the orchestrated crime appeared to be linked to the victim’s recent RAF pay-out.
The suspect is scheduled to make her first court appearance before the Tsolo Magistrate’s Court on 19 January 2024. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to uncover further details surrounding the alleged kidnapping.
