Two kidnap suspects arrested

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Two kidnap suspects arrested

8:03 CAT | 02 Jan 2022

Photo: in file CoM

Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) on Saturday presented to the media in Maputo two people, a man and a woman, accused of involvement in the wave of kidnappings of business people in Mozambique’s cities.

One arrest was made in Maputo and the other in Gaza province. Sernic spokesperson Hilario Lole told reporters there was evidence that both these individuals “have been involved in several kidnappings inside Mozambique, and possibly abroad”.

They were part of an organized criminal network which the police has identified, he said, and measures are under way to detain other members of the gang.

“The arrest of these individuals results from hard work of criminal investigation in coordination with various other bodies”, said Lole.

But the detainees denied any involvement in kidnappings. The 33 year old woman arrested, who was not named, declared “I’m not involved with any group linked to the kidnappings. I’m a domestic servant and I’ve been working in the home of a Portuguese citizen for the past six years. They found me at home and asked if I was the owner of a phone number used in communications linked to the abductions”.

“I recognized the number, but not my involvement in the case”, she said. “Nonetheless, they took me away”.

The second suspect, a 43 year old man, also denied any involvement, and accused the Sernic agents of mistreating him.

“Three plain clothes agents came to my house in Xinavane (in Maputo province), and wanted to take me by force, without going to the local authorities”, he said. “So I resisted and the agents beat me up. They said my phone number had been used in crimes of kidnapping”.

“I’m a worker in South Africa”, he claimed, “and I just came back to spend the festive season here”.

Source: AIM