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A 39-year-old Pakistani man appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on charges related to the kidnapping of 10 foreign nationals.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said Dilpazeer Azam, was remanded in custody on Thursday after the matter was moved from Pretoria to Polokwane.
He said Azam was arrested in Centurion on 6 February by a multi-disciplinary team following an intelligence-led operation.
“It was reported that on 26 January ten foreign nationals were travelling along the N1 from Musina when they were stopped by another vehicle. The victims were allegedly loaded into another vehicle and were transported to Polokwane where they were allegedly handed to the suspect near the Peter Mokaba Stadium,” Netshiunda said.
He said on Thursday the investigating team followed up on a tip-off that took them to a lodge in Bruma, Johannesburg where the Bangladeshi kidnap victims were rescued unharmed.
“The suspect will be back in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on 17 February, where he will make a formal bid for bail,” Netshiunda said.
He said more arrests are imminent.
