Johannesburg – Police have rescued a kidnapped Indian businessman and fatally wounded the suspected kidnapping mastermind, a wanted Mozambican nicknamed “Dollarman”.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe on Thursday, 4 September 2025, said the anti-kidnapping task team has “safely reunited an Indian businessman with his family following a shootout with an alleged mastermind behind the businessman’s kidnapping”.
Brigadier Mathe said the businessman was found in Alexandra in a shack shortly after midnight on Thursday, 4 September 2025.
“His rescue follows a shooting in which the alleged mastermind behind his kidnapping was shot and killed during a confrontation with police officers near the R21 in Kempton Park on Wednesday evening,” the police spokesperson said.
“The suspect who goes by the nickname ‘Dollarman’ is a wanted kidnapping kingpin in both SA and Mozambique .
“He is on SERNIC, which is Mozambique’s wanted persons database, where he was wanted for several kidnapping for ransom cases.”
Brigadier Mathe said in South Africa, Dollarman was also linked to at least five kidnapping for ransom cases, as well as other cases of housebreaking, carjacking, and possession of unlicensed firearms.
“From July 2021 to date, more than 337 kidnappers have been arrested by the SAPS anti-kidnapping task team, and more than 146 illegal firearms have been seized in all these crime scenes.
“In the past week alone, police have arrested more than 14 773 suspects for various crimes ranging from murder to rape, and at least 163 illegal firearms have been seized during Operation Shanela.”
