The family of Phillip Martins, a businessman from Nigel in Gauteng, is pleading with authorities and the public for his safe return, after he was kidnapped.

Martins was kidnapped three weeks ago at his family home.

His kidnappers have demanded a ransom of R500,000, threatening to kill him if the family does not comply.

Martins’ daughter has already paid over R100,000.

A family member who has chosen to stay anonymous says there has been no further communication confirming his wellbeing.

“So, the money was sent, but the man hasn’t been found and we are pleading with the authorities to invest more resources into trying to get this man home safe and of course, for all who are dependent on him, including the employees and the community of Nigel. So, this is a big person in the community, someone who helps the community. You know, he supports sports tournaments, he employs people. So, we are just pleading with them to bring this man back home safe to his family members who are now living in fear and agony because of this such an incident,” says the daughter.

Meanwhile, specialist investigator Mark Bolhuis has urged families of kidnapping victims not to engage with kidnappers or pay any ransom, without the assistance of police or professional investigators.

Bolhuis says this is a common tactic used by kidnappers to extort even more money from families.

“So in a case where somebody is kidnapped, it’s important do a thorough identification, evaluation, risk analysis, track tracing and cybercrime forensic investigation so that you can make an informed decision. And then secondly, I know it’s difficult, but you need to be cool and calm and make informed decisions, as I’ve said, and deal with authorities that know how to handle these cases and successfully investigate and solve them. We are specialist investigators, (we) do many, many kidnappings, and you need to do it extremely professionally and carefully and with all the knowledge and expertise that is necessary and available,” says Bolhuis.

Related content | Concerns over kidnapping cases in SA: