National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the SAPS do not associate themselves with media reports claiming that two arrests have been made in the Moti brothers kidnapping case.
“An article, carried by a media house in the East Rand, in Gauteng, which suggests there have been arrests in an alleged kidnapping case, is misleading,” Naidoo said.
After stating clearly that the SAPS “distances itself from the said article”, Naidoo further requested that matters “which are likely to place the lives of people at risk” be handled with “utmost sensitivity”.
The wrongful article claimed that two suspects had been arrested
On Friday, 29 October, a media house in the East Rand, Gauteng alleged that two suspects had been arrested by Benoni police.
According to the article, cell phone technology led police straight to the man and woman’s house. The article further stated that the pair were indeed linked to the Moti kidnapping case and the station commander allegedly confirmed this at the scene.
The motive for the Moti kidnapping is still unclear
On October 20, Zidan (6), Zayyad (11), Alaan (13) and Zia (15) Moti were kidnapped whilst on their way to school in Polokwane. The boys along with their driver were ambushed by seven men that were armed with rifles and dressed in white overalls.
The boys’ father is an established Polokwane businessman, Nazim Moti, and is the chief executive of Moti Auto, a car dealership. Moti has been in business for 25 years.
The motive of the devasting kidnapping is still unclear as no ransom has been demanded since the incident occurred nearly 2 weeks ago.