Eight men arrested for kidnapping and extortion incidents in Johannesburg

Mapaballo Borotho

Eight suspects have been arrested in Johannesburg in connection with kidnapping and extortion cases.
A 43-year-old man was abducted, and his family received ransom demands while money was withdrawn from his bank account.
The victim has been rescued, and all suspects are expected to appear in court on Monday.

Eight suspects have been arrested on charges of kidnapping and extortion in Johannesburg over the weekend.

The suspects allegedly kidnapped a 43-year-old man earlier this month and demanded a ransom from his family. The victim was travelling with his wife from work towards Booysens when they were accosted by four armed men driving a Toyota Quantum. He was forced into the suspects’ vehicle, which then sped off.

Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the victim’s wife opened a kidnapping case at the Kliptown police station.

“Resources were mobilised to trace and locate the victim. Following his kidnapping, the family began receiving ransom demands, and it was also established that several withdrawals had been made from the victim’s bank account,” said Nevhuhulwi.

Police traced the suspects’ cellphones to Jeppe Hostel, Nancefield Hostel and Mzimhlophe Hostel in Soweto. On 17 January 2026, four suspects were traced and arrested at Jeppe Hostel.

Further investigations linked the suspects to two additional kidnapping cases opened last year in Jeppe and Diepsloot. This led to the arrest of four more suspects, three in Diepsloot and one in Orlando, who was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The victim was rescued from Mzimhlophe Hostel, where he had been held, and has since been reunited with his family.

All eight suspects are expected to appear before the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 January 2026, facing charges of kidnapping and extortion.