Abducted Businessman Released After 137 Days in Captivity in South Africa

A 76-year-old South African businessman was released after he spent 137 days in captivity. Omar Carrim was abducted outside his store in Pretoria on Aug. 3, and released on Dec. 18 night.

Carrim is now recovering at an undisclosed hospital, TimesLive reported.

“I can confirm the release of Carrim. He was released in Olifantsfontein on Monday,” anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee said, according to PTI. The Carrim family thanked relatives, friends and the community for their support since his disappearance in August.

“We are most grateful to everyone and we thank the Almighty for returning our father and brother to us. Thank you for all the prayers and the moral support from the public,” the family said in a statement.

Omar Carrim

Carrim was due for a heart surgery on the day after he was abducted in a car. He disappeared after leaving his Home Hyper store at Pretorius Street in Pretoria CBD on Aug. 3 afternoon. Pleas were made on humanitarian grounds for his release.

The car Carrim was taken away in — his Mercedes Benz E300 — was found burnt on Aug. 4 near Atteridgeville, a township north of the city.

Carrim’s 49-year-old son Abdulla had said earlier that they received many phone calls after his abduction. On one occasion‚ his father had briefly made contact saying he was fine but needed medication for his heart before hanging up, according to TimesLive. The publication also quoted Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane as saying that police had also found Carrim’s spectacles and some papers with blood near the car. The police worked closely with two private investigators hired by the family.

Kidnapping syndicates in South Africa are targeting particularly wealthy South African Indian businessmen, Abramjee said. “Often families refuse to get police involved and there are even reports of huge ransoms being paid in some instances to secure the release of loved ones in recent years,” Abramjee was quoted as saying. “Foreign nationals running businesses in South Africa, including Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese migrants, are also soft targets for these gangs because they deal largely in cash only.”

The Gauteng Community Safety Department has been working to locate Carrim’s abductors.