A British Airways pilot has been kidnapped, assaulted and robbed by South African robbers during a stopover in Johannesburg.
The unidentified pilot fell for the brazen ruse when he left the private development where the crew was staying and bought groceries at a store on Checkers Boulevard. According to The Sun.
As Pilot was leaving the store, a woman asked Pilot to help her load shopping bags into her car.
Shortly after, masked men forced the co-pilot into the back of the car and took him to a remote location. While in custody, he was tortured for hours until he handed over “thousands of pounds”.
“What happened to the pilot is amazing,” a source told The Sun. “It was like something out of a movie. I was scammed into agreeing to help a woman in need, and before I knew it, I was stuffed into a car and driving away.”
The violence ended only after he agreed to hand over the money.
“He's just happy to be alive,” the source said.
The pilot was unable to return the plane to London and a replacement pilot had to be conscripted, The Sun reported.
British Airways told The Sun: “We are assisting our colleagues and local authorities with their investigation.”
This is the second incident involving a British Airways employee in Johannesburg in the last six months. According to the Telegraph. Another pilot was stabbed in the leg and held at gunpoint while fleeing between flights.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with around 75 murders per day, according to British news outlets.
of British government warns South Africa has a “high risk of terrorist attacks” and people are urged to use caution when traveling to South Africa.
The government said it was “very likely that terrorists will attempt an attack in South Africa”. “High rates of crimes such as carjacking, car robbery, rape, sexual assault, and murder.”
He also warned that kidnappings were on the rise in the African country, warning that kidnappings were usually carried out for “financial gain”.
of US Department of State has rated South Africa at “Level 2” and advised Americans to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to the country.
“The risk of violent crime increases after dark in the central business districts of major cities,” it warned.
