A 23-year-old woman from Soweto and a Mozambican national have been arrested for faking a kidnapping and demanding ransom from her family. The police apprehended them on Thursday in Moroka after a multi-unit investigation uncovered the scheme.
Fake kidnapping unravels
The woman was reported missing last Thursday in Randburg, with her family receiving a ransom demand soon after. Fearing for her safety, they alerted the police, prompting a swift investigation.
A task team, including the SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Crime Intelligence, the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit, Johannesburg Flying Squad, and Randburg Detectives, tracked the case. Following leads, they traced the suspects to a location in Moroka.
“The operation led the team to an identified address in Moroka, where both the supposed victim and her alleged kidnapper were found,” said Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk.
Arrest and charges
Authorities arrested both suspects at the scene and charged them with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. Investigators believe the woman and her accomplice planned the scheme to extract money from her family.
“Further investigation revealed that the kidnapping had been staged by the woman and the kidnapper. Both were subsequently arrested,” van Wyk added.
This arrest follows an increasing number of false kidnapping cases, which authorities warn divert valuable resources from genuine crimes.
Police are also dealing with a similar case in Pretoria, where four suspects, including a Gauteng crime prevention warden, were arrested for staging a fake kidnapping to rob a family member.
On 14 January, authorities launched a rescue operation, including a helicopter search, only to later discover that three of the alleged victims had orchestrated the crime to steal money from the fourth victim, their aunt.
The suspects, along with a taxi driver who was involved, were arrested on 17 January and have since appeared in the Soshanguve Magistrates Court.
What do you think should be the consequences for people who fake serious crimes?
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