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Cape Town businessman Liyaqat Parker, 65, has been reunited with his family after being held in captivity for more than two months.
The relieved Parker family confirmed his return in a statement on Tuesday morning, a day after he was released.
"The Parker family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to everyone who has walked this journey with them and provided physical, emotional and spiritual support. It is truly appreciated," the statement, which was released by PR company Networx, said.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut could not confirm Parker's release as an investigation into the "finer aspects" of the case is underway.
Read: 'Kidnapping a top-4 priority crime,' Cele tells family of abducted businessman
They have also asked the public to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Parker was allegedly kidnapped by five unknown men at his business in Fairway Close, N1 City on July 9.
It was previously reported that his alleged captors had demanded 50 bitcoin for his release, which had a valuation of R4.3m.
Read more: Kidnapped Cape Town businessman still missing as kidnappers reportedly demand 50 Bitcoin in ransom
According to the statistics provided by authorities, Parker's kidnapping follows 14 similar cases recorded since 2015. At least one businessman ended up dead, and at least two others remain missing.
The actual number of these types of situations could be much higher, as it is understood that many kidnapping cases are dealt with privately and are never reported to the police because of threats.
News24 understands that suspected underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack may have been involved in Parker’s release and that a suspect was arrested in Johannesburg on Sunday.
A recovery team involving Modack, according to a source, was contracted to retrieve Parker. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
Modack on Tuesday confirmed Parker was indeed back with his family and wished him well.
He declined to comment further.
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