Kidnapped Joburg woman Alex van Heerden found safe

A case was reportedly opened at Fairland Police Station and remained active as investigators worked to trace Van Heerden's whereabouts. A 26-year-old woman abducted outside her Northcliff home earlier this week has been found, security specialist Mike Bolhuis confirmed to The Citizen on Friday morning. Alex van Heerden was seized moments after arriving home at 6:57pm on Wednesday, 5 August, according to Bolhuis’ Specialised Security Services (SSS). She had reportedly travelled by Uber from News Café in Rosebank to her Northcliff residence shortly before the attack. How the abduction unfolded Footage of the incident, shared by Andre Snyman of eBlockwatch, showed two armed men confronting Van Heerden immediately after she stepped out of the Uber. According to SSS, the attackers first robbed the e-hailing driver of his cellphone before forcing Van Heerden into a separate vehicle and fleeing the scene. The Uber driver reportedly did not pursue the attackers himself. Instead, per SSS, he drove straight to the nearest police station to open a case. Investigation and search operation The abduction triggered a large-scale search involving both police and private security teams. A case was reportedly opened at Fairland Police Station and remained active as investigators worked to trace Van Heerden’s whereabouts. SSS said it had been cooperating closely with law enforcement throughout the search. Bolhuis indicated further details on the case would be released once available. This article will be updated accordingly as new information from SSS comes through. This is a developing story