The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) has this morning arrested one of the most wanted suspects in Ekurhuleni and rescued two kidnapped women in a raid at a house in Bedfordview.
The women had gone missing from their home over a week ago and had been reported as missing to the police.
Days of intense investigations led the EMPD to a house in Bedfordview where they found the two missing women, stolen items including a police cap, a motorcycle and IT equipment including a laptop belonging to the Gauteng Provincial Government. The police also seized drugs such as the notorious ‘mushroom’ and Liquid G commonly known as the day-rape drug.
A few minutes into the raid the police also found a firearm and numerous rounds of ammunition.
A sting operation was then conducted leading to the arrest of the owner of the property and the alleged kingpin.
“This is a major breakthrough and we believe that upon further investigation, we may be on to something big here. We are following leads of human trafficking and drug dealing. We suspect that this suspect is part of a crime ring,” said MMC for Community Safety Cllr Pheladi Mmoko.
“The country is presently dealing with a scourge of gender based violence and women kidnapping, and this we believe will lift the lead on similar activities in the region and beyond.”
Mmoko said the EMPD has intensified its war against GBV and kidnapping and “we already know the hotspots be it in townships or affluent areas”.
“We know the modus operandi of these thugs and we also know who they are and we are going for them,” he said.
The EMPD said it will also be engaging with their SAPS counterparts to determine how the arrested suspect got out of jail after he was arrested six months ago.
Mmoko indicated that the police are on the trail of several other suspects believed to be working with the arrested man.
