Armed gang abducts elderly Free State couple, drains their bank accounts

Police in the Free State have launched an intensive manhunt after three armed suspects allegedly abducted an elderly couple, held them for nearly two days and used their banking details to transfer funds.

What happened

According to the South African Police Service, the incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, 2 August 2026, when three armed males forced open a sliding door and entered the couple’s home in Bophelong. The victims were asleep at the time.

The victims are a 73-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife. Police said the suspects demanded cash, assaulted both victims and loaded household appliances into the couple’s Suzuki vehicle.

Abduction and alleged bank fraud

Police said the suspects forced the couple into their own vehicle and drove them around Bloemfontein before taking them to Botshabelo. There the victims were allegedly locked inside an unknown shack while the suspects used the victims’ cellphones to perform fraudulent transactions and digitally transferred an undisclosed sum of money from the victims’ bank accounts.

Release and police response

The couple remained in captivity until the early hours of Tuesday, 4 August 2026. Police said that at approximately 4am that day the suspects drove the victims back to their residence in Bophelong, left them inside the vehicle and fled on foot.

Members of the Kopanong police attended the scene and opened cases of house robbery and kidnapping. Police confirmed that no arrests have been made and that an intensive manhunt is under way to trace the three suspects.

“It is alleged that on Sunday, 2 August 2026, a 73-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife were asleep at their home in Bophelong location when they were surprised by three armed males who gained entry by breaking a sliding door,”

Appeal to the public

Police have appealed to members of the public with information that could assist investigators to come forward.