Six arrested after Dutch businessman held hostage in South Africa

[News_Editor]

Six arrested after Dutch businessman held hostage in South Africa

2011-07-12 15:34:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

JOHANNESBURG (BNO NEWS) -- Police in South Africa have arrested six men who allegedly kidnapped a Dutch businessman and kept him hostage for three days until a ransom was paid, officials said on Tuesday.

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesman McIntosh Polela said the victim works for a Dutch company which came across an Internet advertisement that offered a 42 million Rand (6.1 million USD) scrap metal deal. Being interested in what was deemed a potentially lucrative deal, the company sent a consultant to follow up.

Polela said the victim arrived in South Africa last week and got in touch with the people who placed the advertisement. He was subsequently kidnapped and held at a house in Olivedale, a suburb of Johannesburg, for a total of three days.

"The suspects phoned Holland, demanding a ransom of 50,000 U.S. dollars," Polela said. "Eventually they were paid 15,000 U.S. dollars through a UK account. The victim was dropped off at OR Tambo Airport after the ransom was paid."

After being made aware of the kidnapping, South African police staked out the house in which the victim was kept for three days and arrested three people on Saturday and three others on Monday. They were identified as five men and one woman who have South African and Nigerian nationalities.

The suspects are expected to appear in Randburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and Thursday.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-12

[SAffer]

And I was blasted by a TV member for complaining about Nigerians posing as South Africans here in Bangkok.

Seems to me that they even do it in South Africa, and to the detriment of those who cannot tell the difference.

Nigerians, start reporting and controlling your countymen; they are ruining your image as normal people.

[MegaRanter]

most of our bad people moved there after our good people liberated the land. Just to keep the white natives in check. Kidding.

[SAffer]

Uhm, I think you will find that the 'white natives' voted for change.

There was no revolution, and no liberation was won by force;-)