Police find 90 undocumented migrants when kidnapping victim rescued

A police team tracing a victim of kidnapping for ransom has rescued 90 undocumented Ethiopians who were being kept against their will and under inhuman conditions at a house in Johannesburg.

The kidnapping victim is among the group found at the house in Sunningdale Ridge.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said: “A multidisciplinary team led by the STF [Special Task Force] were tracing a victim of kidnapping for ransom when they also made the discovery of the undocumented nationals who were found locked up, confined and packed into rooms.

“Investigations are under way as to how these nationals were trafficked into SA… The victim was kidnapped in Benoni [Ekurhuleni] on Tuesday afternoon, whereafter his kidnappers immediately started demanding hundreds of thousands of ransom money from his family.”

Mathe said after they were rescued, the victims were all taken to hospital for medical care.

“Two alleged human traffickers and kidnappers who were found on the property have been arrested.”

Mathe said they were likely to face charges of kidnapping and human trafficking.

The duo is expected to appear in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court soon.

“The case has been handed over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations [Hawks] for further investigations. This operation would not have been successful without the work of the following units – crime intelligence, organised crime detectives, Sandringham and Daveyton SAPS as well as private security,” said Mathe.