The chilling Benoni kidnapping that was captured on CCTV has been solved by Gauteng police.
Benoni kidnapping: Victim rescued by police
Tahseen Manteen Kardame, a renowned religious leader, was kidnapped outside of his father’s Build-It warehouse on Friday 12 November 2021. CCTV footage installed outside the business complex situated on Liverpool Road captured the frightening encounter Kardame had with at least four armed gunmen.
ABDUCTION : BUILD IT. LIVERPOOL RD. BENONI. COE. GP. 4 B/M PERPS GRABBED VICTIM & SHOVED HIM INTO MV & FLED. @SAPoliceService @GTP_Traffstats @TrafficRTMC @JoburgMPD @cci_network @TMPDSafety pic.twitter.com/vEeZ3XG3IJ
— REZA (@crimeairnetwork) November 12, 2021
In a statement released on Tuesday, police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo revealed that the work of a multidisciplinary task team paid off when, in the late hours of Monday 29 November 2021, two suspects linked to the Benoni kidnapping were arrested, including an Ekurhuleni metro police department official.
Further probing led the task team to a location in Wattville, where a third suspect was taken down and cuffed at approximately 09:00 the next day.
“The investigations eventually led the team to a house in Katlehong where the kidnap victim was rescued. Two more men were arrested, bringing to five the total number of suspects arrested thus far.” Brig. Naidoo revealed.
Here’s what we know about the suspects
At this sensitive stage of the kidnapping case, police were reluctant to reveal incriminating information on the suspects. However, from what we understand, the five alleged kidnappers are South African citizens aged between 29 and 72.
According to Naidoo, one of the suspects was out on bail for an active cash-in-transit case.
Added to the task team’s evidence inventory are 15 cellphones and three firearms that will undergo rigorous forensic testing to match with other unsolved kidnappings.
The five suspects are expected to appear before the Benoni magistrate’s court on Thursday where they will face charges related to kidnapping, extortion as well as unlawful possession of firearms.
From what we understand, no ransom was paid by the family.