A police joint operation has led to the arrest of three suspects on kidnapping, extortion and murder charges after the discovery of the body of a 48-year-old Chinese national in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Monday.

The joint operation consisted of members attached to the provincial kidnapping task team, the directorate for priority crime investigation,  provincial organised crime investigation, crime intelligence and the hostage negotiation team.

The suspects aged 30, 32 and 37 are expected to appear in the Khayelitsha magistrate’s court to face charges relating to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and extortion.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Malcolm Pojie said the victim’s 52-year-old brother was found in a serious condition at about 10pm on Wednesday on Swartklip Road in Khayelitsha.

“The victim was transported to the Khayelitsha District Hospital for medical examination at the Thuthuzela Care Centre,” said Pojie.

Pojie said preliminary investigations suggest the two brothers were abducted at about 10.45pm in the Mowbray area on Thursday by assailants who were unknown at the time.

“The suspects later contacted relatives and demanded cash in return for their safe return and unification with their families. They were instructed not to talk to authorities as that would have put their loved ones directly in harm’s way. However, police immediately activated a multidisciplinary team to probe the disappearance of the brothers. Their resilience paid off when they arrested the trio and took them in for interrogation,” said Pojie.

Source: TimesLive