Hawks arrest two suspects following 73-year-old woman's kidnapping
The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have arrested two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of a 73-year-old woman from Kariega.
According to Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the Hawks' provincial spokesperson, the woman was abducted on August 11, 2025, by two men who blocked her path in Crocus Street, Kariega.
"It is alleged that the victim was coming out from the gate of her homestead driving a motor vehicle, where she was apparently blocked by a Volkswagen Polo and two unidentified armed suspects alighted from the vehicle, accosted the victim into their vehicle and fled from the scene," said Mhlakuvana.
After her kidnapping, a ransom demand was made, prompting an urgent investigation led by the Hawks.
Mhlakuvana noted that extensive investigative efforts by a multi-disciplinary team culminated in her safe return almost five days later.
"She was found near Kariega police station unharmed and reunited with her family," he said.
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Two held for kidnapping of Kariega woman
Two suspects have been arrested for the recent kidnapping of a 73-year-old Kariega woman . Theresa Minnie was abducted outside her Fairbridge Heights home at 5.30am on Monday last week. She was released unharmed by the kidnappers at the weekend. Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the suspects, aged 29 and 31, had been positively linked to Minnie's kidnapping. The suspects were due appear at the Kariega magistrate's court on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Mhlakuvana said. He said the arrests were a collaborative effort between the Gqeberha-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit of the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and Magama security company. Mhlakuvana said Minnie had been driving out the gate at her home when she was blocked by a Volkswagen Polo and two armed people got out the vehicle. They bundled her into their vehicle and sped off. Mhlakuvana said on the same day a ransom demand had allegedly been made and the matter was handed over to the Hawks for investigation. He said the pressure exerted by a multidisciplinary team had resulted in her being released on Saturday and she was found near the Kariega police station unharmed and reunited with her family. 'An intelligence-driven operation was conducted, which led the team to the suspects' homestead,' Mhlakuvana said. He said they had recovered an undisclosed amount of cash, two vehicles and two firearms that were suspected to have been used in Minnie's kidnapping. These had been seized for further investigation. Hawks provincial head Major-General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya has lauded the investigating team for the arrests. The Herald
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Hawks arrest two suspects following 73-year-old woman's kidnapping
The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have arrested two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of a 73-year-old woman from Kariega, The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have arrested two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of a 73-year-old woman from Kariega. According to Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the Hawks' provincial spokesperson, the woman was abducted on August 11, 2025, by two men who blocked her path in Crocus Street, Kariega. "It is alleged that the victim was coming out from the gate of her homestead driving a motor vehicle, where she was apparently blocked by a Volkswagen Polo and two unidentified armed suspects alighted from the vehicle, accosted the victim into their vehicle and fled from the scene," said Mhlakuvana. After her kidnapping, a ransom demand was made, prompting an urgent investigation led by the Hawks. Mhlakuvana noted that extensive investigative efforts by a multi-disciplinary team culminated in her safe return almost five days later. "She was found near Kariega police station unharmed and reunited with her family," he said.
Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
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Finally – Hawks arrest suspects in latest Nelson Mandela Bay kidnapping
Two people were arrested in a major breakthrough for the Hawks after a spate of kidnappings in Nelson Mandela Bay over the past year. Security sources have confirmed that a ransom payment in cash was handed over to the kidnappers on Saturday night, 16 August, after which Theresa Minnie, 73, was released unharmed near a police station in Nelson Mandela Bay. Minnie was kidnapped from her Fairbridge Heights home in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) last Monday at 5.30 am. Hawks spokesperson Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said a collaborative effort between the Hawks' Gqeberha-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Crime Intelligence, Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and Magama Security had 'unlocked the Minnie kidnapping case'. 'It is alleged that the victim was coming out from the gate of her homestead driving a motor vehicle, where she was apparently blocked by a Volkswagen Polo and two unidentified armed suspects alighted from the vehicle,' said Mhlakuvana. The suspects forced the victim into their vehicle and fled from the scene. Mlhakuvana said that on the same day an alleged ransom demand was made, 'the matter was handed over to the Hawks for probing'. He said investigations had ensued, and due to the pressure exerted by the multidisciplinary team, Minnie was released on Saturday night. He said she was found near the Kariega police station, unharmed, and was reunited with her family. 'An intelligence-driven operation was conducted, which led the team to the suspect's homestead in various precincts at Gqeberha, that were believed to have been responsible for the said kidnapping incident.' Mlhakuvana said the team swiftly arrested two suspects aged between 29 and 31, who were positively linked to Minnie's abduction. He said the team reportedly recovered a large undisclosed amount of cash, two vehicles and two firearms that were suspected to have been used in the kidnapping. The perpetrators are due to respectively appear before the Kariega Magistrate's Court on 19 and 20 August 2025. Investigating team hailed Provincial Hawks head, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, lauded the investigating team for ensuring that the suspects were arrested. Security sources confirmed that after Minnie's kidnapping, a multidisciplinary task team initiated a coordinated intelligence-driven investigation into the suspects believed to be responsible for the kidnapping. On Sunday morning, actionable intelligence was received on the whereabouts of a suspect in Gqeberha. It is understood that the first suspect was arrested with a significant amount of cash directly linked to the ransom. A second suspect was arrested at another location, also in possession of a large sum of cash, a vehicle used in the kidnapping and a firearm. At a house in Motherwell, the team also recovered a firearm and another large amount of cash. A second vehicle used in the kidnapping operations was also recovered. Further operations are continuing to trace and apprehend other suspects connected to the kidnapping network. Intelligence channels remain active, and coordinated strategies will continue to guide future operations. Last week, MEC for Community Safety Xolile Nqatha said in the Eastern Cape Legislature that the Hawks had a dedicated 24-hour standby team working in the Nelson Mandela Bay district. He said this team was following a 'multidisciplinary approach' and working hand in hand with tactical units, local detectives and other relevant law enforcement agencies in the district. He said an additional task team had been deployed to beef up investigation capacity. Nqatha said the provincial Hawks' Eastern Cape Serious Organised Crime had not fallen short on strategy. Over the past 12 months at least 13 kidnappings – primarily motivated by ransom demands – have taken place in Nelson Mandela Bay. When releasing the provincial crime statistics in July, Nqatha said kidnappings had increased from 14 counts in the second quarter of 2024 to 35 counts in the second quarter of 2025. Cases included: A 45-year-old teacher was kidnapped in March 2025 outside Happydale Special School in Algoa Park. Armed men dragged her from her Toyota Fortuner shortly after she arrived. She was reunited with her family three days later. It is unclear if a ransom was paid. Josh Sullivan, an American missionary, was abducted in April 2025 during a church service in Motherwell. He was rescued five days later in KwaMagaki during a police operation in which three suspects were killed. Ebrahim Moosa, a businessman from Kruisrivier near Kariega, was kidnapped in February 2025 from his business premises. He was rescued by police a week later. Two people were arrested. Two foreign nationals were kidnapped in mid-February 2025 in an undisclosed part of Nelson Mandela Bay. Police have confirmed the case, but provided few details. Investigations continue. A Somali was abducted in Gelvandale in November 2024, held for ransom and released three days later with minor injuries. His kidnappers remain at large. Qays Mohaned Hersi Mohamoud, a Somali student, was kidnapped in Gelvandale in November 2024. He was later released unharmed. Kelvin Naidoo, the deputy president of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, was abducted in July 2024 and released six days later. In July, Lindsay Knowlden was kidnapped from the municipality's fresh produce market in Markman in an early-morning attack that left her husband injured. She was later released. A Cleary Estate woman was kidnapped on 3 July, and then businessman Chris Kaldelis was kidnapped in Schauderville on 8 July. In the past month, kidnappers also took a local businessman who was released earlier in August. Another businessman was taken last week in Nielson Street, Neave Industrial area, Korsten, but he was released after a community intervention without ransom being paid. Minnie was the last victim to be released by the kidnappers on Saturday night. In May, the police released crime statistics on kidnappings for the last quarter of 2024. Parliament stated that in a sample of 4,254 kidnapping incidents, 214 involved ransom demands. Most occurred in Gauteng (144), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (31) and the Eastern Cape (13). Democratic Alliance spokesperson on safety and security in the province, Yusuf Cassim, said he would table a motion to compel the MEC to immediately engage the SAPS provincial commissioner and the Minister of Police to establish a permanent 24-hour joint operations centre in Nelson Mandela Bay led by the Hawks, SAPS, Metro Police and the National Prosecuting Authority. 'This unit must coordinate real-time intelligence sharing, conduct targeted operations in hot spots, and fast-track prosecutions with clear public reporting on arrests, dockets enrolled, and convictions secured. This plan must include a confidential reporting line for residents and businesses, protection for witnesses and direct liaison with sector bodies so that information flows quickly and safely.
