Staff Reporter
A 25-year-old man in the Western Cape staged his own kidnapping to extort money from his family for gambling, but his elaborate scheme unraveled after police arrested him Tuesday.
The man’s brother initially reported him missing to police on January 2nd after receiving a ransom demand claiming the man had been kidnapped in Khayelitsha. The kidnappers reportedly demanded between R4,000 and R5,000, a figure that later rose to R15,000.
Police launched an investigation, but the truth emerged on January 10th when the “kidnapped” man returned home and confessed to fabricating the entire ordeal. He admitted that he and a friend orchestrated the scheme to obtain money from his family, and said he had already gambled away the rent money he was supposed to deposit.
The man is now in custody at Philippi East Police Station and will face his first court appearance in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on January 12th.
“Western Cape Multi-disciplinary Kidnapping Task Team arrested a 25-year-old suspect on charges of allegedly staging his own kidnapping.
On Tuesday, 02 January 2024 a foreign national man reported his brother as kidnapped after receiving a message from an anonymous telephone number. According to reports at approximately 05:30 the complainant left his residence at David Venda Street, Betterlife, Philippi East to go to work leaving his brother who was supposed to go and deposit rent money at Shoprite for the premises they are residing at.
It’s alleged that the complainant’s cellular telephone was off and when he switched it on at about 18:00 he found a message indicating that his brother had been kidnapped and the suspects are demanding a ransom amount between R4000 and R5000 for his safe return. They also said that they took the money and the cellular telephone of the captive and that they are in the Khayelitsha area.
Later on during the day, the wife of the complainant also received a message from a different number saying she must deposit the requested amount to this number. Reports reveal that the brother never returned home on the 02 January 2024 and the ransom demand amount was increased to R15 000. On 09 January 2024 the family decided on the R15 000 ransom demand and made the payment via e-wallet. On 10 January 2024 the afternoon, the captive came back home and admitted that he and his friend staged the kidnapping as they wanted to extort money from his family. He further stated that he used the rent money for gambling.
The suspect is currently detained at Philippi East Police Station, and is scheduled to make his first court appearance in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on 12 January 2024, ” read the statement as released by Western Cape Police Communication center
