A Colombian drug cartel has apparently kidnapped an alleged Cape Town gang boss and demanded a R50 million ransom for his safe return.
According to an internal police report, Peter Jaggers, 43, was snatched while in Gauteng.
It is believed Jaggers has links to six fishermen who were lost at sea after their vessel apparently ran out of fuel at Easter earlier this year.
Jaggers flew to Joburg on 3 July, and it is believed the kidnapping took place at the Emperors Palace Hotel in Gauteng.
The kidnappers then allegedly sent a voice note and a picture of him to his wife, demanding the return of their "stuff“.
A kidnapping case was registered at Bishop Lavis Police Station on 5 July.
According to the police report, Jaggers’ wife said he left home on 30 June, and three days later at 5pm boarded a plane at Cape Town International Airport to Gauteng.
“He was apparently picked up by the foreigners from Bulgaria/Serbia. He never came back home according to his wife.”
In a voice note circulating on social media which was allegedly sent to Jaggers’ family, a man with a foreign accent says: “Hey we no play, we no play. Your husband is on his way to South America, you guys have 24 hours to return the stuff, or we will come after your families you know, we are not playing.
“Colombia, Colombia (he then speaks in Spanish). We cartel, we do not forgive you, hey don’t forget, time is running, you got 24 hours to give me my stuff back.”
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi yesterday confirmed Jagger’s kidnapping case but did not divulge anything further.
He says: “We can confirm that a case of kidnapping was registered at Bishop Lavis SAPS on Friday 05 July 2024 for further investigation. The docket will be transferred to the SAPS office where the incident occurred.”
In March, “The Berta Fishing Experience” vessel made headlines after six fishermen from Hout Bay, Netreg, Kuils River and Hawston went missing at sea for several hours, after the vessel ran out of fuel. They were later rescued.
Amongst the group was a relative of Jaggers.
At the time, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said an inquiry docket had been opened but did not comment on questions about underworld links.
The Daily Voice approached one of the fishermen yesterday but he refused to comment on the allegations.
Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies said this modus operandi (kidnappings) was nothing out of the ordinary for international cartels, who he says had been making inroads in the Western Cape and Africa at large.
Els made reference to a 2021 case of a vessel at Saldanha Harbour where R58 million worth of cocaine was found.
Three Bulgarian men were sentenced to 60 years in jail.
Els says: “We became a hub for the international cartels and they make use of the South African partners, that helps them.
“And what happens is that we can assume in this case, it was a deal gone bad.
“If you look at Mexico and Colombia, that is exactly how these cartels operate. If you short-change them or if they suspect that you are not honest with them, they will do that.”