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North West police and private security companies have arrested two alleged kidnappers on charges of extortion, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The arrests were made after the kidnappers collected ransom money from a 23-year-old victim who was kidnapped outside a night club in Stilfontein. The kidnappers demanded ransom from the victim's family and threatened to kill him if they failed to meet their demands. The victim's vehicle was found abandoned in Khuma.
The law enforcement team tactically kept observations until a Mercedes Benz vehicle was spotted on the N12 near Fochville at around 1pm. The occupants of the Mercedes Benz were confronted by police after they picked the ransom money. The suspects' vehicle sped off from the drop-off point but eventually came to a halt after police fired shots. The suspects who ran off were arrested by the team. One of the suspects, aged 40, was injured during the shooting incident and taken to the hospital.
Police recovered the ransom money and seized the alleged kidnappers' vehicle and a firearm suspected to have been used during the crimes. The kidnapped victim was dropped off unharmed at Doornkop police station. Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, provincial commissioner of police in North West, praised the law enforcement team for working tirelessly to arrest the suspects and confiscate an illegal firearm.
