In a shocking turn of events, a British Airways pilot was kidnapped and brutally tortured during a stopover, forcing the carrier to call in a replacement pilot. The incident took place in South Africa’s Johannesburg, a city infamous for its crime record.
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The man, a First Officer with the airline, was allegedly approached by a woman near a supermarket car park. The woman asked the pilot to help her carry the shopping bags. But as the pilot stepped near her car, a group of men dragged the pilot inside and drove him to a remote location.
The pilot was then subjected to torture for several hours until he gave them access to all of his money. The incident took place in the Melrose Arch complex, an area just north of BA’s secure compound in the crime hotspot city.
The Sun reported that the pilot was forced to cough up “thousands and thousands of pounds.” However, the pilot was said to be happy to have escaped the captivity and not lose his life.
But his colleagues at British Airways were left stunned and shaken after the incident. “It’s staggering what happened to the pilot. It was like something out of the movies. He fell for the scam of agreeing to help a woman in need, and before he knew it was bundled in a vehicle and driven away,” a source was quoted as saying by the Mirror.
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British Airways enforces strict regulations preventing their staff from stepping outside their secure accommodations in the South African city, notorious for its high crime rates. They provide a designated hotel for employees in Johannesburg’s Melrose Arch area, recognised as a ‘city within a city’ due to its heightened safety. This facility, surveilled round the clock, offers various leisure amenities such as shops, restaurants, and a bowling alley to enhance comfort of the guests.
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According to a spokesperson of British Airways, as cited by the Sun, “A crew member was abducted outside Checkers Bluebird supermarket just north of the Melrose Arch complex.” A BA spokesperson told the Mirror, “We are supporting our colleague and the local authorities with their investigation.”
(With inputs from agencies)
