LocalNews

Woman in Soweto arrested for staging her own kidnapping

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested a 23-year-old woman and a Mozambican national in Moroka, Soweto, on charges of kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. The arrests followed an intelligence-driven operation conducted by a multidisciplinary police team.

The woman was initially reported kidnapped in Randburg on January 23, after which her family received a ransom demand, prompting a police investigation.

“A multidisciplinary team comprising of the SAPS’ Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Crime Intelligence, Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit (PIU), Johannesburg Flying Squad, and Randburg Detectives, with support from private security companies, acted on intelligence regarding the suspect’s location,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk.

Acting on the gathered intelligence, law enforcement officials traced the woman to an address in Moroka, where she was found along with her alleged kidnapper. However, further investigation uncovered a shocking twist—the kidnapping had been staged by the woman and her accomplice.

“The investigation revealed that the kidnapping was orchestrated by the so-called victim and her alleged kidnapper in an apparent attempt to extort money from her family,” Van Wyk confirmed.

Both individuals were immediately taken into custody and are expected to appear in court soon.

“The investigation remains ongoing,” Van Wyk added, indicating that authorities are looking into possible links to other crimes.

SAPS has urged the public to refrain from engaging in fraudulent activities, warning that resources dedicated to solving real cases could be misused due to such staged incidents.

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