Cape Town – Threats and intimidation are alleged to be at the centre of a kidnapping that rocked the Bangladeshi community and instilled fear that a syndicate may be targeting wealthy businessmen in the Western Cape.
Associates of the two Pakistani men accused of kidnapping businessman Mustaphar Goolam were implicated in issuing warnings that danger would befall the families of the Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani communities if they did not drop the case.
Pakistanis Haseem Khalied, 27, and Zibi Jahazab, 29, appeared alongside South African Ntombikhona Mgxekwa, 28, on Friday. Goolam was found cuffed and beaten in Mgxekwa’s home.
It was revealed the State had a witness who would link the trio to the crime, before the matter was postponed to Thursday to allow the State time to gather information.
Goolam’s disappearance had an eerie similarity to the kidnapping of Athlone businessman, Naushad Kahn, who was abducted outside his store on the evening of October 31. Investigators have not said there is a link.
Khan was locking his shop, Khan’s Punjabis, when he was accosted by six armed men who forced him into a white Toyota LDV and drove off. He dropped his cellphone during the struggle.
The 46-year-old father has not yet been found and his family are desperate for his return.
Goolam, the owner of Food Town in Grassy Park, was discovered by detectives hidden in a room in a house in Kuyasa, Khayelitsha on Tuesday. The 38-year-old businessman was described as “lucky” to be alive 48 hours after being snatched.
Two men were said to have bundled him inside a gold Toyota Corolla before speeding off. His cellphone was also dropped as he was being manhandled. The kidnappers demanded a R10 million ransom.
Community Policing Forum spokesman Hanif Loonat said there had been scores of kidnapping cases in the Bangladeshi and Indian communities over the years with families opting to pay “exorbitant” ransoms instead of approaching the police.
“There are a lot of similarities in these cases and we are confident we are going to resolve the Naushad Khan case in the near future.”
Loonat said the men who headed the kidnapping syndicate had “hit lists” of wealthy foreign nationals who were most likely to pay. He believes a police reservist may be involved. “We are very close to making more arrests.”
Goolam’s brother, Rubel Hassan, said his family was shocked and traumatised at having to face the alleged kidnappers in court.
“They were calling and ordering us to drop the case. Two of the men we believe were involved were in court today intimidating us,” he said.
Adviser for the community Abu Kasir said: “These elements of criminality are a threat to the whole South Africa.”
There was a scuffle outside court between the men accused of being kidnappers’ associates and those there to support the victim and his family.