Cape Town - Mystery surrounds surrounds the kidnapping of a Chinese businessman who was snatched near Hanover Park on Sunday morning.
Police swarmed the scene near Jakes Gerwel Drive shortly before 10am as the blue BMW belonging to Shengteng Chen, 42, was abandoned on the roadside.
According to a source, the businessman who owns retail stores in Ottery, was travelling with his teenage son when he was ambushed by the kidnappers.
“He owns clothing shops in Ottery and was driving with his son,” said the source.
“He is Chinese but lives in Brackenfell, and it appears that he had been followed for some time. On Sunday, he was driving with his son when a white Toyota pulled up and blocked the road.
“Four armed guys jumped out and took him and put him in his car and left the son on the side of the road. So far they have not made contact or asked for a ransom.”
However, a family friend who was at the scene, said the son was also kidnapped.
The person, who asked not to be named, said: “The son was also taken but he managed to get away. There has been no contact yet.
“The BMW was standing at the robot to go right to Ottery. He has a clothing/retail business in Ottery. They were watching him, he was coming from Brackenfell. I don’t know why he came down here.”
Police spokesperson sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the incident and said: “Philippi police are investigating a kidnapping case after a 42-year-old man was kidnapped in Jakes Gerwel Drive on Sunday at about 9.30am.
“According to reports, a white Toyota Corolla blocked the road and four suspects jumped out of the vehicle and took the man. The suspects fled the scene and have yet to be arrested. The circumstances surrounding the incident are the subject of a police investigation.”
Last month, the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team bust an Egyptian duo for abducting and murdering their business partner.
At the time, provincial police revealed that the two men, aged 33 and 34, made an appearance in the Grabouw Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Saeed Mansour.
The duo confronted him, allegedly about a substantial amount of cash from the business profits they suspected him of taking without consent, and forced him into their car and took off.
He was later reported as missing and a kidnapping case was initially opened.
During further investigations, one of the accused co-operated and pointed out the crime scene on Baden Powell Drive where they had buried his body.