21 August 2024 , 19:24
462
0
A 40-year-old Zambian national, who was apprehended on Sunday after landing at South Africa’s OR Tambo International Airport, has been identified as a key player in a transnational organized crime syndicate involved in kidnapping, ransom, and crystal meth distribution in the country.
Police said in a statement that the 40-year-old suspect has been under close surveillance for some time. He joins eight other suspects who were similarly arrested for their alleged ties to the gang.
Police say they found during a raid related to the case drugs at two properties in Johannesburg’s Fourways suburb and a hotel in Bruma.
“He is specifically linked to the kidnapping of a 63-year-old businessman in Helderkruin, Roodepoort, in July. He [the businessman] was rescued on the same day police made the discovery of R300 million (US$16.8) worth of crystal meth at two properties in Fourways and a hotel in Bruma,” said South African Police Service Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.
The suspect can not be named until he appears before court. Mathe told OCCRP that the suspect’s left foot is bandaged and he walks with a crutch.
Last week, SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola outlined the difficulties in dismantling kidnapping rings, noting that often their kingpins operate from outside the country.
According to the latest Global Organized Crime Index report, South Africa is currently seventh on the list of countries with the highest organized crime rate and it is rising sharply.
Drug trafficking syndicates, gangs and other forms of organized crime represent an urgent and growing challenge in the country.
The report states, among other things, “South Africa’s criminal markets are strengthened by the influence of criminal actors, especially state-linked actors – responsible for years of state capture – as well as highly interconnected crime networks”.
The link between unemployment and crime in South Africa is obvious. As the country’s economy declines over the years, levels of crime rise accordingly.