Police have remained tight-lipped following the arrest of a Mozambican citizen in Thailand last week, suspected to be at the centre of an international syndicate kidnapping prominent South African businessmen.
“We do not comment on such matters as these are very sensitive issues. I cannot say if this person is indeed linked to any of these kidnappings. Due to the sensitive nature, and in respect of their families, we cannot comment on anything that could put their family members at risk,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.
This after the arrest of Momade Assife Abdul Satar, also known as “Nini”, following an international arrest warrant issued for him.
A highly placed source told the Cape Times Nini was due to be extradited to Mozambique, and then to Cape Town. “Nini,” dubbed “Mozambique’s most notorious assassin”, is alleged to have recruits in Cape Town who carry out kidnappings.
His arrest on Wednesday came less than a month after 65-year-old Layaqat Allie Parker, founder of the Foodprop Group which owns the Foodworld supermarket chain, was abducted at his Parow business in Stairway Close in De Greens. There is still no word of his whereabouts.
Parker’s family spokesperson, Walid Brown, said no progress had been reported.
Parker’s kidnapping follows that of the owner of Zhauns Business Opportunity Machines, Sadeck Zhaun Ahmed, last year.
He was kidnapped outside his business in Victoria Road, Salt River. He was returned home after two months. There were reports that a ransom of R20million was paid for his release, but his family denied it.
In August last year, Omar Carrim, 76, was taken by a group of unknown men after leaving his business, Home Hyper City, in Pretoria.
Several people suspected of working with “Nini” cannot be named. He left Mozambique while on parole in 2014 after having served time for being involved in the murder of journalist Carlos Cardoso in 2000.
Cardoso had exposed large-scale corruption in the country, which reached the upper echelons of the government, and fingered the son of the president, Joaquim Chissano.
Activists believe more arrests are imminent following Nini’s arrest.
Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee, who supported the Carrim family, said he was convinced organised crime syndicates were behind the kidnappings (of business people) and had international links.