Episode 23: One lucky kidnapping with Rob Blezard

Episode 23 of Fool Me Twice features hosts Bradford Oakes and Steve van Aperen in conversation with Rob Blezard, a Victoria Police detective with a 35-year career.

Blezard outlines his path from joining the force in 1988 to working ten years in uniform at city, Kew, Heidelberg and Brunswick stations. Brunswick, he explains, was an especially formative posting: busy shifts, experienced sergeants and constant exposure to street crime, drugs and repeat offenders taught young officers how to investigate, observe and act decisively.

He later moved into Crime Command, working in gaming and vice, organised crime, armed crime, homicide and specialist taskforces. His career included investigations into the Vicki Jacobs and John Furlan murders, along with an eight-year San Diego Task Force operation that resolved forty non-fatal shootings linked to Middle Eastern organised-crime networks. The discussion highlights the persistence of criminal groups and the importance of intelligence, detailed records and patient follow-up.

The episode’s central story is an urgent kidnapping investigation. Police initially knew only that an intercepted caller had said, “We’ve got him. Where do you want us to take him?” They had no confirmed victim, location or complete list of offenders. A detective travelling to the incident room stopped for fuel after collecting a forgotten phone, noticed a suspicious car, and wrote down its registration. Unbeknown to him, the kidnapped victim was inside and trying to attract his attention.

Investigators identified the suspected kidnapper through a repeatedly used false name, traced his phone to Frankston, and called dozens of local hotels. Surveillance found his motorbike outside one motel, while another hotel—beside Frankston Police Station—confirmed that five people had checked in under his name. The Special Operations Group entered the room and rescued the victim, who had been detained for six or seven hours, severely tortured, assaulted with a machete, and forced to play Russian roulette.

The abduction stemmed from a failed gun deal. The victim had arranged a $10,000 firearm purchase, but the seller took back the weapon while retaining the cash. The buyers assumed the victim had stolen their money, found him and abducted him to force repayment. Five offenders were later imprisoned.

Oakes, van Aperen and Blezard use the case to show how coincidence, instinct and diligent police work can save a life. Recording a registration number, connecting aliases, reviewing intelligence and making methodical local inquiries turned scattered fragments into a successful rescue. The episode closes with lighter stories from policing, but reinforces how quickly minor criminal disputes can turn violent.

LINKS

Book Steve Van Aperen as your next keynote speaker: Click here

Get coached in stand-up comedy with Brad Oakes: Click here

Learn more about Fool Me Twice by visiting www.foolmetwice.com.au

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