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Africa's 'youngest billionaire' kidnapped

The man reputed to be Africa's youngest billionaire has been kidnapped by masked gunmen in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam, police say.

A man described as Africa's youngest billionaire has been kidnapped by gunmen in Tanzania.

Police said Mohammed Dewji, 43, was seized by two masked men who fired into the air before driving away from the Dar es Salaam hotel where he was going to the gym.

Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda said police have tightened security at all border points and airports to ensure the two white men who were seen on surveillance video were not sneaking out of the East African nation.

Forbes magazine in 2016 put Dewji's wealth at $US1.5 billion ($A2.1 billion).

Dewji is one of the key players in private sector-led development Tanzania, well known for being a leader in local employment and manufacturing in east and central Africa.

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Dewji's conglomerate, the METL Group, operates in over 35 industries as diverse as trading, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and petroleum, financial services, mobile telephony, infrastructure and real estate, transport, logistics and distribution.


1 min read

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Source: AAP



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