With the kidnapping of wealthy businessmen in Cape Town on the rise, concerned businessmen in Indian and Pakistani communities say this can be attributed to the police’s inability to infiltrate and arrest the perpetrators.
There are also allegations that a Pakistani crime ring that is arranging the kidnapping of wealthy businessmen.
The business men’s outrage comes in the wake of the kidnapping of Noor Karriem, the owner of Giant Hyper in Epping. Karriem was dragged from his car just outside his business in Epping and tossed into an unknown vehicle.
According to Martin Ewi, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, police reports indicate that a Pakistani crime ring is allegedly behind the kidnappings.
One concerned businessperson spoke out and said: “Several business people have been abducted since 2016. Police have failed to make any arrests and it seems they have done nothing to curb this. If this was in the UK or America, the police would have made a breakthrough by now. Our police need to engage with their Pakistani counterparts on allegations that their countrymen are behind the kidnappings.”
Following the disappearance of Karriem, a specialist investigator into serious, violent and economic crimes, Mike Bolhuis, said that a Pakistani syndicate along with underworld and bank informers meticulously scrutinised the financial affairs of prominent Indian and Pakistani business people before kidnapping them. He recalled one case where the ransom money was paid to the syndicate in Dubai.
Yusuf Abramjee, South Africa’s unofficial crime fighter, concurred with Bolhuis, affirming that these kidnappings were well planned with inside information on their targets.
Pakistan deputy high commissioner Adnan Javaid on Monday indicated he was unable to state his country’s position regarding the claims.
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