An East London businessman who was kidnapped by five men on Thursday was dropped off along Amalinda Road on Sunday night.
Hawks Spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana confirmed that Pramesh Hooka was kidnapped while closing his "Autostyling" shop in Amalinda at around 17:40.
The ordeal was captured on CCTV cameras.
WO Mhlakuvana said they are still not sure if a ransom demand was made or paid.
He was seen being dragged by five men and put in the boot of a champagne-coloured Avanza and released after a three-day ordeal.
Mhlakuvana said Hooka returned at 10 pm in an injured and frightened state.
The suspects are still at large.
Foreign nationals who own businesses in the Eastern Cape say they pay a monthly protection fee to gangs, out of fear of being kidnapped and held for ransom.
A member of the Islamic Council of Southern Africa (ICSA), Dr Naveed Anjum, said more than 50 business owners have been kidnapped in just a few months, with more than R1 million paid out in ransom.
These figures emerged at a meeting that was held by ICSA in eQonce in May and was attended by the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan in South Africa, together with the Pakistan South Africa Association.
