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- A Pakistani national was rescued by Mpumalanga police on Thursday.
- The alleged kidnapper is said to be still at large.
- The police also seized a vehicle following a high-speed chase with the alleged kidnapper.
Mpumalanga police rescued a kidnapped Pakistani national following an operation on Thursday.
This after the police received information about a kidnapping that was reported at the Johannesburg Central police station involving an alleged human trafficker based in Malelane and Valencia, Mpumalanga.
"The information further indicated that two Pakistani nationals were trafficked to South Africa via Malawi and Mozambique.
"Upon arrival in South Africa, the trafficker held them hostage," police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the police, the family of one of the victims paid an undisclosed amount of money for his release.
However, the second victim's family communicated with the kidnappers and reported the case to the police at Johannesburg Central police station.
READ | Inside SA's kidnap crisis
The police subsequently followed up the information they received, which led them to spotting the alleged kidnapper near Valencia.
A high-speed chase ensued, and the alleged kidnapper escaped.
The police managed to locate the alleged kidnapper's vehicle in the basement parking of iLanga Mall with the assistance of a tracking company.
They seized the vehicle.
"The trafficker is still at large, however, his identity is known to the police as a businessman in the Schoemansdal area," Mohlala said.
He added a safe house, where the victims were held, was identified and led to the arrest of an undocumented Pakistani national who was identified by one of the victims as the housekeeper, who allegedly communicated with the victims' families.
"The provincial commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela, has appreciated the dedication of the members for freeing the kidnapped person," Mohlala said.
