Three suspects aged between 30 and 36 appeared before the Port St Johns Magistrates Court on October 2, 2024, facing serious charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, and extortion. Their arrests were the culmination of a thorough investigation led by the Provincial Cash-In-Transit Interim Task Team of the Hawks, alongside Special Units including the Tactical Response Team (TRT), Crime Intelligence (CI), the Provincial Tracing Team, and Hostage Negotiators.
The cases against the suspects stem from two separate incidents. The first occurred on September 20, 2024, when Alize Van der Merwe, 39, was accosted by unidentified assailants while she was driving her Fortuner SUV en route to Mngazi Resort in Port St Johns. Just a few days earlier, on September 17, 2024, another victim, Xiaomei Tian, 34, was similarly targeted by unknown suspects while traveling between Barkley East and Elliot. Following these alarming incidents, a joint police investigation was immediately initiated. On September 25, 2024, the police successfully apprehended the first suspect, which led to increased pressure on the remaining accomplices. Remarkably, after this initial arrest, both victims were reportedly released unharmed, although they were left psychologically shaken. They were found near the Sulenkama Police Station and were subsequently taken to a health facility for medical care.
The investigation continued intensely for another week. On September 30, 2024, authorities arrested the two remaining suspects in East London, bringing the total to three. As the trio linked to both criminal incidents stood before the court, the magistrate remanded their case to October 8, 2024, for legal representation and formal bail applications.
