A 25-year-old e-hailing driver in Cape Town allegedly found himself at the centre of a kidnapping after arranging to meet a woman he had previously encountered through his work.
South African police said five suspects have been arrested over the incident.
The police account indicates that the driver first met one of the female suspects during the previous week.
Their interaction was connected to his e-hailing business. The two reportedly exchanged telephone numbers and continued communicating after the initial encounter.
They later agreed to meet.
According to the South African Police Service, the driver was allegedly kidnapped when he arrived for the meeting.
Police said he was held by a group comprising two women and three men.
The authorities also alleged that the two women sexually assaulted the driver during the incident.
The situation came to the attention of police after the suspects allegedly contacted the victim’s brother.
A demand of R4,000 was reportedly made for the driver’s release.
The brother alerted the authorities, prompting police to begin efforts to locate him.
Investigators were able to trace the driver using a tracker fitted to his vehicle.
The tracking information led officers to Southampton Road in Heathfield.
Police rescued the driver from the location.
Five people were arrested in connection with the alleged crime.
The suspects include women aged 23 and 34 and males aged 16, 42 and 48.
The South African Police Service said the suspects were expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on September 14.
The case highlights the risks that can arise when e-hailing workers establish contact with people outside ordinary passenger transactions.
Drivers operating in the sector often depend on mobile communication to arrange journeys, meetings and pickups.
In this case, police said the relationship between the victim and one of the suspects began through the driver’s work before the alleged abduction occurred.
The victim was successfully rescued after his brother contacted police.
Authorities have not disclosed further information about his condition.
The five suspects will now face the legal process, where the allegations will be examined.
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