A man employed as a salesman at a hardware store was kidnapped by two customers who were duped into paying R10 000 into an account for cement in the Verulam CBD – KZN this afternoon (Friday).
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) received a call from management of the business requesting assistance to locate their employee. According to the caller, their employee was forced into a champagne Toyota Corolla by two men. The caller was unable to provide a registration of the vehicle or the motive for the kidnapping.
Reaction Officers positioned themselves at exit points around the Central Business District when a vehicle matching the description provided drove through a stop street on Moss Street. Officers pursued the vehicle and boxed it in at a single lane steel bridge leading to Canelands. The hardware employee was located in the vehicle at 16:12.
According to the driver and his passenger, they were communicating with a male who informed them that he was employed at the store and was willing to arrange cement at discounted prices. The two paid R10 000 for 200 bags of cement. They arrived at the store and asked for the salesman by name. They requested the cement which they paid for via eft when the salesman advised them that he had no knowledge of the sale. They then forced him into their vehicle and sped off.
Both parties were handed over to Police for further investigation.