[Update: This story has been updated to reflect that abducted Moti kids bear no connection to Zunaid Moti.]
Muslim businessman Ashraf Kaka was kidnapped outside the Helderkruin Mosque, west of Johannesburg on Friday.
Chad Thomas, an organised crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, confirmed that another purported kidnapping had taken place.
Kaka is the chairperson of The Safraaz Group of Companies and an attorney. He is an ex-executive/partner of Zunaid Moti, a well-known businessman.
At this moment it is unknown who is behind the kidnapping but police confirmed the case. “We can confirm that police are investigating a case of kidnap. The team is on it,” said national SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
This crime has sent shockwaves across Gauteng; where kidnappings are on the rise. “We received notification around midday today that a well-known Muslim businessman had been kidnapped outside a mosque on the West Rand. SAPS and private security were placed on alert following the incident,” said Thomas.
“It’s disconcerting how prolific this type of crime has become and we believe that there are several copycat syndicates operating. SAPS Crime Intelligence National Office has set up a dedicated multi-jurisdictional inter-agency task team led by Major-General Feroz Khan,” he said.
Thomas said they were making identifying and taking down criminal syndicates, as evidenced in recent cases.
“The problem is that there are a limited number of people working these cases, and the problem is that this particular type of crime is growing on a daily basis. The State must ensure that units such as these that are showing success are fully capacitated to tackle these criminal syndicates head-on,” Thomas said.
In a period of six months, Mathe said, more than 54 kidnappers operating in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Free State had been arrested.
This week alone, police rescued two Portuguese businessmen in separate incidents.
Mathe said since January this year, a total of 13 businessmen and at least six students were rescued without ransom payment being made.