By António Cumbane
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Unknown assailants on Monday kidnapped a Pakistani businessman, named Nurali Gulamo, the owner of the confectionary factory Sweetos, located in Machava, in the southern municipality of Matola.
This is the second kidnapping in less than two months. The first took place in Maputo city, and the victim was a Portuguese businessman. He was rescued two weeks ago from a house in Matola where a kidnap gang had held its victims prisoner. In this operation the police shot dead four kidnappers
So far, the exact circumstances of Monday’s crime are not clear. But it is known that the victim was seized when he was leaving his home in the Matola C neighbourhood and was on his way to work to the Sweetos factory.
Eye-witnesses said that when the kidnappers arrived “they waited. When their victim appeared, there was an attempt to resist, and they fired three shots in the air. We were all agitated”, said one eye-witness, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The police say they have registered the occurrence and are now working on the ground to locate the criminals and free their victim.
From January 2023 to March 2024, the police and the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) say they have recorded nine cases of successful kidnappings and six that were aborted. (AC)
