Masked men kidnap wealthy Mozambique businessman

Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a wealthy businessman in the city of Chimoio in central Mozambique.

An eyewitness told reporters that Issufo Satar, who owns a network of commercial establishments, was leaving one of the stores he owns on Saturday when masked men threatened to shoot him then bundled him into a Toyota RunX.

Mozambican Police Spokesman Mateus Mindú said searches were under way to locate Mr Satar and his captors.

Kidnapping wealthy individuals or their families for ransom is common in Mozambique, particularly in major cities.

This latest incident occurs at a time when the police claim to be beefing up their fight against the phenomenon.