Durban - Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said there were no new developments in the kidnapping of Sandra Moonsamy.
He said information that had been circulated that Moonsamy was seen in the uShaka Marine area was false.
Mhlongo lambasted security companies which acted like “heroes” and had been sharing information on social media about the matter.
Meanwhile kidnapping has become a way of life for perpetrators, an expert has said as many in Durban were left shocked by the kidnapping of Moonsamy in Pinetown last week.
Martin Ewi, from the Institute of Security Studies, said kidnapping was taking on an “alarming dimension” not only in South Africa, but around the continent as well as people made a living off kidnapping.
He said police were often discreet when faced with a kidnap situation as kidnappers often demanded to the family of the victim that there should be no police involvement. This was particularly important when police were about to pounce on the criminals.
According to the Daily News’s sister paper the Sunday Tribune, Moonsamy, a mother of two, is a member of the Naicker family that runs the multimillion-rand logistics company Crossmoor Transport based in Pinetown.
She was kidnapped while driving to her home in Westville on Thursday.
The paper also said that she was kidnapped by “professionals”.
The kidnappers’ level of experience played a role in the victim’s recovery, Ewi said. Amateur kidnappers would want to let the victim go quickly if they realised that the situation was getting complicated.
He said some kidnappers studied their victims before pouncing. The kidnappers’ motives could also play a role in how events played out. Some might do it to prove a point, while others wanted a ransom, said Ewi.
What was key was to know who the kidnappers were as this would help determine what they were capable of.
Ewi said a person being kidnapped should not resist.
“As a victim, you need to co-operate and sympathise with them. You start saying things that they want to hear,” Ewi said.
To avoid being kidnapped, people should not go to areas they would feel unsafe in and be wary of strangers who ask for directions as this ruse could be used to get close to the victim.