Police make arrests in Alize van der Merwe kidnapping case, claim major breakthrough in dismantling syndicate

Three suspects linked to the kidnapping of Cape Town tourist Alize van der Merwe and a Chinese woman, whose identity is yet to be released have been arrested.

In an operation that extended throughout the Eastern Cape, the police’s kidnapping task team linked evidence in three kidnapping incidents to dismantle the syndicate that is believed to have taken Van der Merwe.

Read more: Woman kidnapped on way to popular Port St Johns resort 

On Wednesday four men were killed and a fifth injured after a shootout with police when cornered during a raid conducted by the police’s specialist Tactical Response Team (TRT) in Keiskammahoek.

The TRT, based in Mdantsane, had received information of illegal firearms being stashed in a house in Marikana in Keiskammahoek. TRT members found the suspects on the property and cornered them as they tried to flee through back exits. A gunfight broke out, and four of the suspects were killed. A fifth was taken to hospital where he was under police guard.

Read more: Police kill four suspected kidnappers in Eastern Cape, Hawks investigating

Investigations done at this house including the recovery of three stolen vehicles, and three unlicensed firearms led the police to uncover the work of a kidnapping syndicate active in the province and which could be linked to the kidnapping of Van der Merwe and the Chinese tourist. 

Police spokesperson Majola Nkholi said a task team comprising of Crime Intelligence (CI), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Provincial Tracing Team, Hostage Negotiators (HNT), National Intervention Unit (NIU) and the Tactical Response Team (TRT) was assigned to work on two kidnapping cases.  

“The first incident they were investigating occurred on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, when a 34-year-old Chinese woman, travelling in a Mercedes Benz Vito, was hijacked and kidnapped on the road between Barkly East and Elliot. 

“The second incident occurred on Friday, 20 September 2024, when Cape Town resident Alize van der Merwe (39) was hijacked and kidnapped near Mthatha. Her vehicle was found abandoned outside Mthatha.”

He said the task team’s work took them to the Keiskammahoek house where the shootout happened. Here they discovered two stolen vehicles, a gold Toyota Hilux stolen in the Western Cape, and a white Opel Corsa stolen in Dimbaza. 

Meanwhile, the police also received information that a couple linked to the kidnapping syndicate was travelling near Cradock in a stolen Toyota Rumion. They were intercepted and stopped near Cradock.  

“The two were arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. A preliminary investigation has revealed that a vehicle was stolen in the Western Cape, and the couple was also linked to the kidnapping syndicate. The suspects, aged 32 and 34, are due to appear in the Cradock magistrate's court on Monday, 30 September 2024, on charges of possession of stolen property.  The couple is also scheduled to appear in Port St John's magistrate's court on charges of kidnapping,” Nkholi said.

“Following these successes, and the pressure from the negotiating team, on Thursday, 26 September 2024, the syndicate released the two victims near Sulenkama. Both victims (women) were unharmed and no ransom was paid to the syndicate.  The investigation is continuing, and with a possibility of more arrests or recoveries.  The stolen Mercedes Benz Vito is still missing,”  Nkholi said.

Also, read in Daily Maverick: Alize van der Merwe and a second kidnapping victim dropped off at police station in Eastern Cape

Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene commended the team.

“This was a collaboration between the Hawks and other specialized units that worked tirelessly to ensure that at the end we have positive results. We are indeed pleased with the outcomes, which we hope will deter those who want to embark in similar criminal activities in the future. We invested a lot of resources into this team, and the results are beginning to show,” Mene said. DM