This is the photo that helped save Alize van der Merwe's life.
The men who kidnapped the 39-year-old financial analyst in the Eastern Cape nine days ago sent this picture to law enforcement as “proof of life” as they sought a ransom.
But it is believed their plan backfired when the bungling criminals mistakenly included a phone number in the screen grab.
Two missed calls from the original sender were visible. Police traced the number and on Wednesday two suspects were intercepted and arrested near Cradock while driving in a white Toyota Rumion.
Another victim, a 34-year-old Chinese woman who cannot speak English, was kidnapped between Elliot and Barkley East on September 17 by the same gang and held with Van Der Merwe.
The arrests followed a raid on a house in Keiskammahoek about 300km away, on Monday, where members of the kidnapping syndicate were believed to be staying.
A shoot-out ensued, leaving four suspected kidnappers dead and one wounded. Information found at the scene, together with the number from the screen grab, ultimately led police to Wednesday's arrests. It is believed that information taken off the dead men's phones linked them to Van der Merwe's kidnapping.
On Thursday, after pressure from hostage negotiators, one of the arrested suspects, believed to be the ringleader of the syndicate, gave the order to release the two women, who were being held in Sulenkama, Qumbu, about 90km north of Mthatha.
Private security expert Andre Snyman, who has been helping Van der Merwe's family, said the two women were not dropped off at a filling station in the area, as initially reported.
“When the main guy was caught, he told his guys they must let Alize and the other woman go. So they told them to just get out and go,” Snyman told the Sunday Times.
“They walked with them for a while, then left. So the women were walking down the road, not knowing where to go.
“A guy in a white bakkie stopped and they told him they needed to get to the police station. He was very kind and took them. When they arrived there were lots of police and they ran to them. [The police] immediately helped them and were very caring and supportive.”
A close relative of Van der Merwe's told the Sunday Times yesterday that the women were not hurt “but it goes without saying that this was an incredibly traumatic experience”.
“I feel Alize will talk when she is ready,” the women said, declining to comment further.
Snyman said that earlier in the week a source had sent him a screen grab of her “proof of life” photo, together with a screen grab of a conversation between a negotiator and one of the people believed to have kidnapped her:
Person 1: Howzit brother, there is one.
Person 2: Can I get confirmation that she is still alive? I am asking for one picture with her left hand raised in the air.
Person 2: I will leave in one hour to come that side.
Person 1: Where is the money? Show me so we can end this thing at once.
Person 2: There is money.
Police have confirmed that no ransom was paid.
Snyman shared this screen grab with the police. “The police called me back and said they have the photo and asked me not to let the screen grabs get out because it could endanger the women while they were still in captivity,” Snyman told the Sunday Times.
“Can you imagine how scared they must've been. Two women held against their will and they can't even understand each other. They were dishevelled but in good physical condition when they were dropped off by their kidnappers.
“Alize's bags, phone and purse were all left in the Fortuner. Her bank cards were taken and the criminals later attempted unsuccessfully to withdraw money from her account.”
Van der Merwe, a financial analyst from Cape Town, had flown to Mthatha, hired a Toyota Fortuner and was driving to the Umngazi Hotel near Port St Johns on September 20 when she was kidnapped on the N2. The vehicle was later found close to the area where she was taken.
She was held along with the unnamed Chinese national who had been kidnapped three days before while travelling in a Mercedes-Benz Vito on the road between Barkly East and Elliot.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson W/O Majola Nkohli said a task team was set up to work on the case.
“On Monday intelligence information led them to a house in Qoboqobo, Keiskammahoek, where four suspects were fatally shot and one injured during a shoot-out with police.”
Nkohli said the arrests were the result of “disruptive operations” by a combined task team comprising crime intelligence, the Hawks, the provincial tracing team, hostage negotiators, the national intervention unit and the tactical response team.
“Three unlicensed firearms with ammunition and two stolen bakkies — a gold Toyota Hilux stolen in the Western Cape, and a white Opel Corsa stolen in Dimbaza — were recovered from the premises.
“The suspects, male aged 32 and a female aged 34, are due to appear in the Cradock magistrate's court on Monday on charges of possession of stolen property. The couple is also scheduled to appear in Port St Johns magistrate's court on charges of kidnapping.”
He confirmed the kidnapping charges were in connection with Van der Merwe and the Chinese victim.
“The investigation is continuing, with a possibility of more arrests or recoveries. The stolen Mercedes-Benz Vito is still missing.”
Provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen Nomthetheleli Mene commended the team, “This was a collaboration between the Hawks and other specialised units that worked tirelessly to ensure that at the end we had positive results. We are indeed pleased with the outcomes, which we hope will deter those who want to embark on similar criminal activities in the future. We invested a lot of resources into this team, and the results are beginning to show” said Mene.
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