37-Year-old woman arrested for kidnapping newborn in Bellville

A 37-year-old woman from Tafelsig has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of nine-day old Mogamat Imaad Sharmar of Strandfontein.

The infant was abducted on Saturday, June 28 at the Middestad Mall in Bellville, from his mother, Imaan Sharmar.

Police together with a multi-disciplinary team comprising of the Provincial Organised Crime: Anti Kidnapping Investigation, Crime Intelligence, Bellville Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit jumped into action and found the baby alive on Monday night at a residence in Honolulu Street in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain.

Police spokesperson, Captain Frederick Van Wyk explains how they made the breakthrough, after following leads which led them to the woman’s home.

“A multi-disciplinary crime combatting team comprising of Provincial Organised Crime: Anti Kidnapping Investigation, Crime Intelligence, Bellville Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit worked tirelessly since a case of kidnapping was registered with Bellville SAPS on Saturday June 28,” he detailed

 “The mother of the nine day old baby was at a local shopping complex in Bellville when she became nauseas. 

“She left the child in the care of a woman who was with her when she went to the bathroom. Upon her return the mother could not locate the woman and her baby. She reported the incident with Bellville SAPS for further investigation.

“Owing to the meticulous investigation and the analytical approach to the information at their disposal, the team pounced on an address in Honolulu Street in Tafelsig on Monday June 30  where they found the child and in the process detained a 37-year- old female for kidnapping.”

Van Wyk said the woman is due to make an appearance in court this week.

 “Once charged the suspect is expected to make a court appearance in the Bellville Magistrates’ court on the mentioned charge,” he explained.

The Strandfontein Community Policing Forum chairperson, Sandy Schuter Flowers had called on residents to be observant if they saw someone with a newborn who had not been pregnant.

She said they would continue to support the baby’s  family. 

During a heart wrenching interview with the Cape Argus on Monday, just hours before the baby was found, his mother Imaan, also known as Britney Brandt, 25, who works at a Call Centre and is currently on maternity leave, made a plea to his kidnapper for his return.

She told of how the woman had befriended her at her home in May while she was pregnant allegedly under the pretense that she was selected to be part of a post natal programme for women.

She explained that on the second meeting, on the day of the kidnapping, she was told they were attending a workshop in Bellville and had traveled via Uber with the woman from her home in Strandfontein to Middestad Mall.

After sharing a meal at Hungry Lion, Imaan said she began to feel sick and was forced to leave the baby with the woman while she used the toilet and had began vomiting, when she returned the woman vanished with the infant.

Missing persons organisations also appealed for young mothers to be vigilant in sharing their personal information and that people operating illegal adoptions were potentially targeting unsuspecting women following a range of cases involving vanished babies in Cape Town in recent years such as two-month-old Kai-isha Meniers, from Bishop Lavis and Imvano Yeko, 15 months old of Somerset West.

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Cape Argus