Multimillion-rand hostage drama spawns alleged murder ‘cover-up’

Football was playing on the television when police officers barged in. They told everyone to get down on the floor. Abdi Nasir Yusoof was one of the people in the house. The man, who is over the age of 30, bolted. He was allegedly shot in the back. Five days later, he was dead. 

A Mail & Guardian investigation has established that Yusoof, a Somali, was shot on 22 September 2020 during an operation to rescue businessman Hamza Khan, who was being held captive in Mayfair, Johannesburg. 

The investigation has begun to reveal the murky world of kidnappings, private security, retainers, ransoms and turf wars of who saves whom. 

Although there are records of the multimillion-rand, kidnapping-rescue operation that involved a private security firm, law enforcement agents and the family of self-proclaimed anti-crime activist, Yusuf Abramjee, there are no records of Yusoof or the shooting. 

The kidnap rescue that went wrong

The M&G has seen an internal crime intelligence preliminary progress report of the rescue operation, which stated that Khan was kidnapped at his Mayfair family business on 18 September 2020, and a R5-million ransom demanded for his release. 

The report added that Khan’s family, after negotiations, decided to pay a ransom of R200 000 three days later, but the hostage was not released. 

A day later, a mission involving private-security firm Vision Tactical, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and crime intelligence officers, among other policing units, rescued Khan, who was held in a small lodge on Clifton Street. 

The joint operation centre, or mission base, was convened by major general Feroz Khan (not related to the victim), the head of crime intelligence’s kidnapping task team, at Vision Tactical’s Houghton head office. 

The police have not responded to questions about why their communications were held at a private-security company. However Yaseen Theba, the head of Vision Tactical, said that the police did not work from its offices, but used them only to speak to the Khan family. 

Admitting that there was no authorisation for the operations centre to move to its head office in Houghton, Theba said that its access to cameras and the community was of great assistance to the police, who are under-resourced. 

“The truth of the matter is that the police — even the current kidnapping unit — don’t have the time to look at footage and analyse footage right through. There are not enough resources. Our role is to support the family. It’s our civic duty to reach out to assist the family and guide the family through the police processes,” he said. 

Theba told the M&G that, on the night of rescuing Khan, he was the only person from Vision Tactical at the scene. He added that major general Khan, the current head of the kidnapping unit, was the most senior officer there, albeit in a supporting role. 

He described it as the best operation he has ever been a part of. 

“It was a precision operation. I’ve never seen something like that in my life: me as a security owner going in with this national intervention unit. Those guys were like machines — American-movie-style machines. They hit the target where the victim was. It was swift, precise,” he said. 

Although there are records of the operation there are none of the shooting of Yusoof, with Theba vehemently denying there was a single shot taken that night. 

When police stations Brixton and Langlaagte were called about the incident they referred all questions to the South African Police Service’s provincial command. Captain Kay Makhubela said he could not assist in tracking down the alleged shooting without a case number. 

‘Shot in the back’

Visiting the street in which the alleged shooting happened last year, people in the tight-knit neighbourhood in Mayfair don’t want to talk. During two days of walking the streets, eye witnesses told the M&G that on the night of 19th September a handful of men were watching football on television inside the low-budget residence, which is nestled among an arcade of mostly East African businesses.  

Suddenly, law enforcement officers stormed the property, shouting at everyone to get down and remain still, while brandishing high-calibre weapons and allegedly hurling expletives. 

“They [football watchers] were eating miraa when the police barged in; there was just screaming and swearing, and a few guys started running away,” said an eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous. 

Miraa, also known as khat, is a plant stimulant popular among East Africans, but illegal in South Africa. 

“Abdi Nasir was shot in the back with a rifle, and the bullet went through his body and pierced his abdomen,” the eyewitness said. 

The M&G has seen a picture of Yusoof lying in a hospital ward; he is tied up in tubes, with two large bandages covering his midriff.  

Another eyewitness, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Yusoof was taken to hospital in a police vehicle, and not in an ambulance. 

“They [the rescue team] said they shot [Yusoof] by mistake. Whether they shot him by mistake, I can’t say. Because the cops said, ‘don’t move’, and this guy tried to jump the wall, and he didn’t have anything illegal on him,” said the source. 

Sources who confirmed the shooting said that Yusoof was shot prior to the police walking out with the hostage.

Eyewitnesses saw police walk out with someone from the same unkempt building in which  Yusoof had, a little while ago, been watching football. 

Asked why Yusoof would run if he had nothing illegal on him, the source said perhaps the deceased became paranoid after eating the miraa, and decided to flee. 

Yusoof worked as a driver, using an old, blue Hyundai Accent to earn an income, the source added.

Three other eyewitnesses all confirmed the raid, Yusoof’s death, the fleet of police vehicles and that of Vision Tactical that descended on Clifton Street and Eighth Avenue. 

Efforts to reach Yusoof’s immediate family members in the country proved unsuccessful on three numbers given to the M&G, with one ringing unanswered and the other two going straight to voicemail. 

Beaten black and blue

Meanwhile, in Norwood, about 13km from the alleged shooting, Farag Salama Abdelsalam Elnaggar, an Egyptian with a business in the suburb, was about to be arrested.

According to the operations report, he was found with R96 250, which Elnaggar admitted was his share of the ransom from the Khan kidnapping. 

However, sources told the M&G that before Elnaggar was taken to the Brixton police station he was allegedly beaten after being dragged into a black Mercedes-Benz Viano, which, the insiders said, belonged to Vision Tactical. 

“We heard there was a commotion — there was a party or some function at his [Elnaggar’s] place, and the people attacked him there. The police rushed there and arrested him. The police helped him because the okes were hitting him. He is currently out on bail and is appearing again in February,” Theba said.

Elnaggar will appear in court in February for his role in the kidnapping.

However, Afzal Abramjee, who is a police reservist and Yusuf Abramjee’s nephew, was also allegedly inside the Viano that delivered a severely injured Elnaggar to the Brixton police station. About 14 hours after the arrest, Abramjee not only tweeted about Elnaggar’s arrest, but also had most of the details contained in the report, as well as accompanying pictures of the labelled ransom money, and a blacked-out picture of the Egyptian.

The M&G, however, has seen the unedited picture of Elnaggar that Abramjee shared — showing a battered, bruised and barely recognisable man, who displayed all the hallmarks of having endured a pummelling. 

When the M&G contacted Afzal Abramjee this week, he initially indicated that he would respond, but later referred all queries to national police spokesperson brigadier Vish Naidoo. Naidoo did not respond to detailed questions sent to him on Tuesday. 

Yusuf Abramjee said he would not comment on the investigation of any kidnapping cases or police work;  instead, he will continue to highlight the scourge of kidnapping as an anti-crime activist. 

“It seems to me that all the information you have, appears to emanate from turf wars to assist kidnapping victims’ families, from within the private security companies and security clusters,” Abramjee said.

“Should you publish anything contrary to my statement above, in which you impugn my good name and character, you can be rest assured that I will take legal action and claim a substantial amount in damages.”

At about 11.30pm on 22 September 2020, superintendent Mahomed Hoosen of the JMPD’s K9 unit shared a post in the operation’s internal social media platform, claiming that the Norwood residents meted out mob justice on Elnaggar. 

Hoosen did not respond to questions sent to him on Tuesday. 

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