One suspect has been nabbed for kidnapping four victims which includes one couple and two males by Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Crowd Management officers in Johannesburg. He was arrested for both kidnap, robbery, assault and being in possession of illegal firearm and fraud. The arrest was affirmed by JMPD Spokesman Xolani Fihla on Sunday afternoon.
The arrest comes after officers stopped a suspect minibus taxi and noticed a commotion coming from his taxi at Louis Botha Avenue and Grafton Road. Fihla said after officers stopped the car the suspect immediately jumped out and approached the officers.
“Whilst they were still talking, officers noticed a commotion coming from the taxi. When officers checked what was transpiring, two males jumped out of the taxi and fled the scene. Upon observation officers found that two passengers, a male and female were left inside the vehicle”
“The male alleged that they were forced into the taxi at gun point with his girlfriend and were robbed of their cellphones. Officers noticed that the man was profusely bleeding from the left side of his head. He informed officers that he was hit with the butt of a firearm”
The male victim then informed officers that the driver forced him into the taxi at gunpoint. Fihla said officers thennabbed the driver and looked through his vehicle and discovered gun in the center front seat.
“They found a firearm in the middle passenger seat between the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat. Officers also found a set of number plates in the vehicle,”
He expressed that upon additional inquiry officersdiscovered bogus number plates on the suspect vehicle.
“Upon further inquiry it was established that the number plates that were affixed on the vehicle were actually number plates of a different vehicle, a Hyundai. It became clear that false plates had been used on the minibus taxi.”
The firearm and the set of number plates that were found in the vehicle were booked in at Hillbrow Police Station.And the vehicle used in the commission of a crime was booked in at the SAPS Aeroton pound.
Meanwhile, the arrested suspect was detained at Hillbrow Police Station for kidnap, robbery, assault and being inpossession of an unlicensed firearm and fraud.
