[imagesource:abqraw]

Police have arrested a security guard from Franschhoek in connection with the kidnapping of a family of four from Cape Town.

Hawks spokeswoman Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani stated that the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, provincial organised crime officers, a hostage negotiation team (HNT), and Crime Intelligence responded to a tip-off on Tuesday that the family was being held at the security officer’s residence.

It is reported that the suspect’s home in Samora Machel informal settlement was used as a safe house for the hostages, he stated.

The 31-year-old  was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to appear in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of kidnapping and extortion.

According to a previous report on News24, the family of four was abducted while going from Kuils River to Helderstroom Prison in Caledon, where the father works as a prison warden. The family were later released and managed to find help at a garage in Philippi East, from where they were taken to the Kuils River police station.

A ransom of R100,000 per person was demanded, but police confirmed no ransom was paid. The kidnappers did however transfer R16,000 from the hostages’ accounts.

The Hawks believe the kidnappers could be part of a syndicate responsible for kidnappings in the Western Cape.

[source:news24]