Mozambique: Police foil attempted kidnapping in Manhiça, detain three

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Police foil attempted kidnapping in Manhiça, detain three

7:59 CAT | 24 Jan 2022

Photo: O País

Police have detained three men for attempting to kidnap a businessman, allegedly at the behest of his son, in Manhiça district, Maputo province.

The group was reportedly hired from South Africa, where he lives, to kidnap the man, who is involved in cattle and sugar cane production, said Henrique Mendes, spokesman for the Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) in Maputo province, during a press conference.

“Sernic became aware of this intention through intelligence sources. We followed them up from the border, where they entered, and monitored them up to Manhiça district”.

According to the authorities, work is underway to locate the mastermind and two other people who are on the run and who are also involved in the crime.

After a period of relative calm, Mozambican cities, mainly the country’s capital, have once again been hit since 2020 by a wave of kidnappings, targeting mainly businesspeople or their families.

The corporation prevented, in 2021, three kidnapping attempts that had inmates as mentors, arrested 13 suspects and seized three firearms that were used to intimidate the victims, mostly businessmen, according to data advanced by the Minister of Interior.

In November 2021, the police launched the formation of a mixed force to respond to this type of crime, a group of officers who will be trained by Rwandan specialists until April 2022.

Source: Lusa