CAPE TOWN – The police’s kidnapping task team has arrested a man for staging his own kidnapping.
Last week, a man reported to police that his brother had been kidnapped after receiving an anonymous message.
The man claimed he left his Philippi East home after 5 AM to go to work leaving behind his brother who was supposed to deposit their rent money later that day.
He alleged that when he switched on his phone that evening a message indicated his brother had been kidnapped and the kidnappers who claimed to be in Khayelitsha were demanding a ransom of between R4000 and R5000.
“Reports reveal that the brother never returned home on the second of January and the ransom demand amount was increased to R15 000. On the 9th of January, the family decided on the R15 000 ransom demand and made the payment via e-wallet. On the 10th of January, the captive came back home and admitted that he and his friend staged the kidnapping as they wanted to extort money from his family” said the Police’s Frederick Van Wyk.
The suspect has admitted he used the rent money for gambling.