RUSTENBURG - A 22-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for kidnapping a child and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, North West police said on Friday.
Captain Sam Tselanyane said Letlamoreng Kaudi was sentenced at the Itsoseng Regional Court near Lichtenburg on Thursday.
He was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a ten-year-old boy in August 2017. The boy failed to come back from school on August 25, 2017. He was reported missing to the police on August 27, 2017.
"It came out during investigations that the accused contacted the boy’s family and demanded a ransom. After an intensive probe, the accused was nabbed for kidnapping and assault. The accused's apprehension was then followed by a search for the boy," said Captain Tselenyane.
"Following the suspect’s interview, police were led to an abandoned drainage system manhole just outside Verdwaal village near Itsoseng where the boy was found. The boy was then taken for a medical check-up that confirmed that he was healthy and thereafter handed back to his family."
In a separate case, Madikwe Regional Court sentenced Jeffrey Nkosi, 39, Soams Slender Sibanda, 36, Mpumelelo Vezy Mlambo, 42, and Fibion Sibanda, 35, to a combined 63 years imprisonment for manufacturing and dealing in drugs.
Captain Tselanyane said the four were arrested on May 9, 2017 at Moubane near Madikwe, following a search at a house in the village.
Two burning gas stoves and drug manufacturing chemicals were found in their shack.
"All of these items were seized as well as mandrax with estimated street value of R338 000. It was later confirmed through forensic analysis that indeed it was mandrax that was being manufactured," Tselanyane said.
Nkosi was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for manufacturing and dealing in drugs and six months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act.
Soams Slender Sibanda was handed a 15 year sentence for manufacturing and dealing in drugs and six months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act.
Mlambo was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for manufacturing and dealing in drugs and Fibion Sibanda was handed the same sentence for manufacturing and dealing in drugs as well as a one year sentence for contravening the Immigration Act.
A Corsa bakkie as well as their R40 000 bail money was also forfeited to the State.