Stellies ou rescued

A bound and blindfolded Stellenbosch shopkeeper was rescued during a high-stakes operation on Friday night. 

Facing death threats and a R5 million ransom demand, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, AKA the Hawks, swooped and arrested three suspects.

The victim was last seen on 27 February when he left his shop in Stellenbosch but never returned. 

Concerned family members reported him missing, and soon after, they received a chilling WhatsApp message from an unknown sender.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siyabuela Vukubi said the WhatsApp message sender stated that he knew the whereabouts of the victim and demanded R100 000 in exchange for his location.

Vukubi reports: “The sender of the message further claimed to be a middleman and mentioned that the kidnappers were demanding R5 million but that he personally needed R100 000, fearing for the victim's life.”

The ordeal took a turn when the victim’s brother received a video showing the shop owner with his hands tied and eyes blindfolded. More threats followed, warning that the victim would be killed if their demands were not met.

An investigation by the police led to the identification of two suspected vehicles on 28 February as Boland K9 Unit busted the suspects in a black VW with the victim inside.

Suffering from serious head injuries, he was immediately rescued but had suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.

The three suspects, aged 28, 35, and 39, were arrested on charges of kidnapping, assault GBH, armed robbery, and extortion.

They were expected to appear in the Stellenbosch Regional Court yesterday.