The Hawks have arrested a 32-year-old man accused of being part of a heavily armed gang that kidnapped a Chinese national in Cambridge, KuGompo City, in 2024.
The suspect is allegedly linked to serious and violent offences, including attempted murder and extortion.
The task team arrested him at the Mdantsane magistrate’s court on Thursday during a separate court appearance.
“The arrest stems from an incident which occurred on February 15 2024, where a Chinese national was allegedly kidnapped in the Cambridge area by a group of heavily armed suspects,” Hawks spokesperson W/O Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said.
“After the abduction, the suspects reportedly demanded a ransom for the victim’s release.”
The Hawks’ kidnapping task team launched an investigation that identified the suspects.
“During an earlier attempt to arrest the suspects, law enforcement officers encountered violent resistance,” Mhlakuvana said.
“The suspects fled in a vehicle, sparking a high-speed chase during which they opened fire on police.
“Officers returned fire, and the pursuit ended when the suspects lost control of their vehicle, which overturned.
“The suspects then fled on foot.
“No injuries were reported during the exchange of fire.”
The suspects evaded arrest at the time.
Police opened an attempted murder case and issued a warrant of arrest for a suspect linked to the attack on officers.
“Several attempts to execute the warrant of arrest were unsuccessful until credible intelligence revealed the suspect would appear in the Mdantsane magistrate’s court on April 30 for drug-related charges, for which he had been out on bail,” Mhlakuvana said.
“Acting on this information, the Hawks carried out a co-ordinated operation at the court, leading to the arrest of the suspect.”
The suspect is expected to appear in the Mdantsane magistrate’s court on Monday.
Daily Dispatch