A Mitchells Plain businessman has been kidnapped by fake traffic officers.
Akter Pradhan was taken on Friday afternoon by men who were driving a silver grey Toyota.
In a video clip taken by bystanders and which has since gone viral, the 37-year-old Cheaper Chips business manager can be seen being forced into the backseat of the vehicle by a man in a traffic officer uniform and another in civilian clothing.
Akter runs the popular store just a few metres from the Mitchells Plain police station but he was snatched on Wespoort Road in Eastridge.
The video starts with a woman asking a man to take a video of the incident, and he says, “I am”.
The kidnappers are seen shoving Akter into the backseat and one of the suspects getting in behind him.
The fake officer can be seen pushing the back door closed from the outside which is being kicked by Akter.
He closes the door and then jumps into the front passenger seat of the moving car.
The car speeds off and leaves behind Akter’s shoe and his white car.
Another woman can be heard asking what’s happening and the first woman answers “ja, now they’re driving away with him.”
The second woman can be heard shouting: “Hey Hey!” but the car speeds off.
Police spokesperson warrant officer Joseph Swartbooi confirms the incident.
“According to reports, a Bangladesh national was driving on Wespoort Road on Friday at around 6.50pm,” he says.
“Three unknown armed males stopped his vehicle, and when the victim got out of his vehicle, the suspects forced him into their vehicle and fled the scene in an undisclosed direction.
“The unknown suspects are yet to be arrested. We can confirm that no shots were fired.”
Swartbooi says Mitchells Plain police are investigating a case of kidnapping and extortion.
A leader of the Bangladeshi community in Cape Town, Mohammad Hoosain says they are waiting for the ransom demand.
“The suspects have made contact with the victim’s family but have not asked for a ransom. They got wrong information about him, he is a manager of the shop and not the owner.”
Hoosain says they have been handling a lot of kidnapping cases in the last few months, and in most cases the families have managed to scrape together money for ransom.
“I can’t even say how many Bangladeshi men have been taken but it is a lot.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za