KNYSNA NEWS - A shop owner was kidnapped at his business premises in Nekkies, Knysna, by gunmen brandishing automatic rifles, and held to ransom for two weeks, according to a businessman in the town.
The businessman, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed alarm over the incident, and said the shop owner, a foreign national, was released by his kidnappers after the ransom was reportedly paid.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) confirmed through their spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, that a case of robbery and the kidnapping of a foreign national was reported to the Knysna police on Tuesday 11 June.
Vukubi said the case had been transferred to the Hawks in George, and the matter was still under investigation.
He said the foreign national had been released by the kidnappers on 26 June, and "there is no information currently available that a ransom was paid".
Vukubi said after his release, the man was taken to George Hospital by police for treatment and a medical assessment.
He did not reveal how many kidnappers had seized the man at his business premises.
"No further details can be provided," Vukubi said.
The businessman said he feared this type of crime would again occur in Knysna, saying many such cases had been reported in Cape Town.
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