Twelve-year-old boy rescued after allegedly being kidnapped, school transport driver arrested
Police in Gauteng rescued a 12-year-old boy following the arrest of his school transport driver on Saturday.
Mfareseni Nemaungani was reported missing on Tuesday last week when he failed to return home from school.
Various police units, the community policing forum, and patrollers searched for Nemaungani for two days, without any luck.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili says preliminary investigations revealed that Nemaungani was reported to have been seen after school, walking away with a man that was referred to as his uncle from Chiawelo.
"His parents were informed as such but when they enquired with the relatives in Chiawelo, they had not seen the boy."
Muridili adds the family received a call from an anonymous caller on Friday, who demanded a ransom for the safe return of Nemaungani.
"The police changed the charge to kidnapping and brought in Hostage Negotiators as well as Organised Crime Investigators to assist in the investigation.
"The team made a breakthrough following countless interviews that were conducted with witnesses leading to the rescue and safe return of the boy."
The investigation led the police to the driver’s home in Protea Glen where he was arrested.
Officers then proceeded to an apartment in Kliptown where the driver's mother stays and found the boy.
The boy was safely returned to his family and will undergo a medical examination.
The suspect is facing charges of kidnapping and will be appearing before the Protea Magistrate’s Court soon.
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