A 20-YEAR-OLD pupil and his friend (24) were arrested on Saturday, 11 March, for allegedly faking a kidnapping.
The two also allegedly demanded a R7000 ransom from his family.
On Friday, 10 March at about 7am, the pupil left his home at Lusaka in Dennilton, Limpopo, saying he was going to school which is about 3km away.
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"His mother became worried when he didn't return home as usual and informed her husband when he returned from work. The husband was also surprised because he said he received several messages from his son's number indicating that he must call him but when he called back, he didn't answer," said police spokesman Motlafela Mojapelo.
The couple then asked their son's classmates if they had seen him but were told he didn't attend classes on Friday.
"Later in the evening at about 8.15pm, an unknown person called the family using the supposed victim's number and demanded R7000, threatening to kill the victim if they failed to comply. The matter was immediately reported to the police and a case of kidnapping was opened.
Mojapelo said following investigations by a special teams which included police hostage negotiators, the two were traced to a house in Tafelkop. The supposed suspect arrived at the scene and led the team to where the victim was.
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The victim was taken along with his accomplice were arrested after they confessed to have conspired and faked the kidnapping to get the money from the family.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe condemned the incident.
"We are at times receiving reports of kidnapping and are obliged to act immediately by mobilising resources as the safety of victims could be at stake. False reports put a lot of strain on police resources which could have been directed to deal with real incidents of crime and to victims who desperately needed police assistance," she said.
The two suspects will appear before the Mdutjana Magistrates Court in Siyabuswa on Monday, 13 March facing a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and uttery.
