Police in the North West are following all leads and have intensified their search for two teenagers from Brits, who were kidnapped on Wednesday morning.
Mohamed Bataviya, 19, and Zahraa Mohamed, 17, were driving from Bataviya’s home in Brits to school in Hartbeespoort Dam when they were kidnapped.
The Mercedes Benz they were travelling in was knocked into by a maroon Audi A3 in front of a primary school.
Two armed men allegedly jumped out of the Audi A3 and ordered the teenagers to get into a white Volkswagen Polo GTI. They then drove off.
Police spokesperson Amanda Funani said police launched a manhunt for the three unknown suspects.
Lizette Lancaster from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said the nature of the case becomes more sensitive as the days go by.
“The priority of the police will be for the safe return of the victims. This necessitates the family and the authorities to respond with patience and care. Although matters of kidnappings unfold in the public eye, providing information just to satisfy the public may compromise the outcome of the case because the perpetrators may learn about the progress made.
“This could compel the perpetrators to threaten, harm or actually harm the victims to deter the family from cooperating further with law enforcement,” Lancaster said.
She added that kidnappings for ransom or extortion are often well planned, resourced and executed by sophisticated organised groups.
The annual police crime stats show a 256% increase in reported kidnappings in a decade between April 2013 (2013/14 financial year) and March 2023 (2022/23 financial year).
She said quarterly crime stats released by SAPS since then, for the nine months between April and December 2023 showed further significant increases.
“The increases have been particularly dramatic since Covid-19. While around 5% of kidnappings relate to kidnappings for the purpose of ransom, extortion and small numbers of human trafficking, the bulk of kidnappings happen during the commission of other crimes such as armed robbery or kidnapping.
“The high profile kidnappings for ransom are often very well planned, resourced and executed by organised groups that may be involved in several forms of organised crime. Some may be local, some regional and others international."
According to research at the ISS, more than half of the reported kidnappings take place in Gauteng, and it is more often that business owners are targeted as they are likely to operate businesses which deal with large amounts of cash..
Police request anyone who may have information that can assist in the investigations to contact the station commander of Brits police, Brigadier Ellen Emmanuel at 082 447 7447.
Alternatively, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or make use of the My SAPS App to send information.