On the morning of August 30, 38-year-old businessman Mr. Xu was delivering goods in Johannesburg when his vehicle was lightly rear-ended. The moment he stepped out to check, two masked gunmen ambushed him, put a hood over his head, and hauled him away. For 36 days, he was confined to a small shack, fed only once a day, and repeatedly assaulted. The kidnappers initially demanded $2 million before raising the ransom to $5 million.
His family refused to pay and instead coordinated with local Chinese community associations and South African police. On October 4, officers tracked down a phone used to make ransom demands and arrested three suspects. Following the lead, tactical units raided a hideout in Randfontein, safely rescuing Xu and capturing two more kidnappers on site. Authorities confirmed that among the five arrested, four are Indian nationals and one is Cameroonian, with five other accomplices still on the run.
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