Johannesburg, South Africa – A multidisciplinary task force, including the South African Police Services (Saps) anti-kidnapping unit, successfully rescued a 49-year-old Portuguese businessman who was abducted last week.
Mark Ramos, a Madeiran national, was snatched at gunpoint by seven men outside his business in Florida, west of Johannesburg. The kidnappers used two Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the abduction.
Following a relentless investigation, authorities tracked Ramos down on July 1st to a house in Snake Park, Soweto. They simultaneously apprehended one of his captors in Turffontein, Johannesburg.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a Saps spokesperson, commended the task force’s unwavering efforts. “The team, which includes members of various law enforcement agencies and private security companies, has been working tirelessly to locate the missing Portuguese national,” she stated. Thankfully, Ramos was found unharmed.
The captured suspect, a 39-year-old man, is believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for at least four other abductions targeting businessmen in Johannesburg. Authorities are currently pursuing the remaining members of the ring.
This rescue operation marks another success for the Saps anti-kidnapping unit. “In the last six months alone,” Mathe revealed, “a multidisciplinary team led by our unit has secured the release of 12 businessmen and six students who were kidnapped for ransom payments.”
Since the beginning of 2024, Gauteng, North West, and the Free State provinces have seen a combined total of 49 arrests related to ransom kidnappings. Police have also confiscated 21 vehicles used in these crimes and seized eight firearms.
“We are confident that through collaboration with all stakeholders and the invaluable assistance of community tip-offs, we will continue to dismantle these kidnapping syndicates plaguing the country,” concluded Mathe.
