The Mozambican authorities have arrested a man suspected of being involved in a kidnapping that took place in October in Maputo, the country's capital.

The arrest of the 35-year-old man was made possible by a search of the parking lot in Maputo, where the vehicle used during the kidnapping was bought, said Hilário Lole, spokesman for the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) in Maputo city, during a press conference on Tuesday.

"Through some distraction or lack of skill, [the kidnappers] left some data [in the park] that led us to this man," said the spokesman quoted by Lusa, without saying whether or not the kidnapped man had returned home.

The detainee, who was found in Gaza province, also in the south of the country, denied the charges and explained that he was out of the country at the time of the crime.

Sernic indicated that there is information that the kidnappers have residences in South Africa, which makes it easier for them to move between the two countries, saying that they are "working to neutralize them and hold them accountable".

The kidnapping took place on October 3, outside the Islamic Cultural Center, on Avenida Alberto Luthuli, near the downtown area of the Mozambican capital, according to a security guard who witnessed it at the time.

Maputo and other Mozambican cities, especially the provincial capitals, have once again been the scene of a wave of kidnappings since 2020, mainly targeting businesspeople or their families.

Mozambique has recorded 13 kidnappings this year and 33 arrests in connection with the crimes, according to the latest figures from Sernic.

In an assessment of crime presented at the beginning of June, the Attorney General, Beatriz Buchili, said that kidnapping crimes have been on the rise and criminal groups have cross-border ramifications, maintaining cells in countries such as South Africa.

The magistrate said that there are victims who are "constantly blackmailed", even after their release, to pay money to ensure that they are not kidnapped again.