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Three suspects arrested for kidnapping and murder of seven family members in KwaZulu-Natal
via The Citizen2 min read
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of seven family members from a house in Newtown, Newark, KwaZulu-Natal. Police, including KwaDukuza Detectives, the Provincial Counter-intelligence and Kidnapping Unit, and the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, apprehended the suspects in Newark on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Tuesday night, April 21, 2026, and later killed in Melmoth. A maid discovered the house broken into the following morning, with seven people and a vehicle missing. Investigations led to the arrest of two suspects in the Hlomendlini area, one found with a victim's cellphone. The third suspect was arrested in the Dendetu area in Sundumbili with a firearm, and a total of eleven cellphones were recovered from the suspects. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda stated that one suspect, who worked for the victims, and his accomplices allegedly tied up the victims, raped a 20-year-old woman, and transported them 200km to Melmoth in the victims' vehicle. In Melmoth, the same suspect allegedly raped the woman again before demanding banking details and PINs from three victims. Three victims were then shot and killed, while the other four were stabbed to death. Several bank transfers were made from the victims' accounts. The suspects led police to Melmoth, where the bodies of the seven victims, aged between 20 and 83, were found. The suspects, aged 21, 26, and 28, are scheduled to
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