Publications
Partners
Pretoria - A police reservist and three community patrollers were arrested in the Pretoria CBD on Thursday morning for kidnapping and extortion.
According to the victim, who positively identified the suspects, he was kidnapped and extorted on Tuesday in the city center.
According to police, the victim said he was approached by one female dressed in police uniform and three males dressed in private clothes while he was sitting inside his car at Pretorius and Lilian Ngoyi Street.
"It is alleged that the suspects knocked at the window of the complainant’s car, they asked for his driver’s licence and he was told that it was a fake," said police spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe.
The victim was allegedly taken to Home Affairs to verify his passport permit, where the suspects then told him that his passport was fraudulent.
Despite the victim telling the suspects that his driver’s licence and passport are valid and authentic, they continued to drive him around Tshwane CBD demanding R10 000 and threatening to arrest and deport him if he does not pay.
"At the end suspects demanded R3500 and went with the complainant to withdraw money from the ATM."
After the ordeal which lasted for most of the day, the victim was eventually let go after paying the suspects and proceeded to report the incident to police.
After a swift investigation, the suspects were arrested.
Pretoria Central Station Commander, Brigadier Rennet Pieterse noted the act of criminality by a South African Police Service reservist and community patrollers.
"We will continue to arrest, act harshly against anyone found to have been involved in criminal activities, this will not be tolerated," said Pieterse
The four suspects aged between 25 and 32 will appear in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of extortion and kidnapping.
