Teen girls arrested for faking kidnapping, demanding R8k ransom from family

A 17-year-old teenager has been arrested along with her friend for allegedly faking a kidnapping and demanding R8,000 ransom from her family.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday, the 17-year-old girl allegedly left her home at Ndindindi in Nquthu on 25 March without informing her family.

A missing person docket was opened at Nquthu SAPS for investigation and the docket was later changed to kidnapping after an unknown suspect demanded R8,000 from the family.

“The investigation revealed that the kidnapped victim was at U Section in Umlazi. An operation was put in place on 6 April 2022, with police officers from various units in the SAPS. The team held observations at various homesteads in D Section and U Section, Umlazi.”

Police then pounced on an informal dwelling in a bushy area at Umlazi, searching for the ‘victim’.

The ‘victim’ fled into a nearby house upon seeing the police officers. She was chased and found under the influence of liquor.

She was taken along with her 15-year-old accomplice for questioning.

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It was later established that the victim left her home and visited the 15-year-old girl whom she alleged to have met on social media.

She stayed with her friend the whole weekend while her family and police were worried about her disappearance.

“It is alleged that she was having a good time with her new friend and they staged a kidnapping. During the investigation, it was established that videos were taken of her to create the impression that she was being held captive. The videos were forwarded to her family and a ransom was demanded,” said the police.

The two teens were charged for extortion, conspiracy to commit an offence as well as defeating the ends of justice.

The suspects appeared at the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court on 8 April 2022, however, the matter was not enrolled. The docket will now be transferred to Umlazi SAPS for further investigation.

The suspects were released into their parents’ custody pending further investigation.

In a separate incident in July last year, a case of perjury was opened after a 15-year-old teenager alleged that she had been kidnapped in Extension 16, Jouberton, on her way to school.

“Voice Notes were widely circulated throughout the community by the victim indicating that she was kidnapped by three men driving in a black Volkswagen Polo. She also claimed that the alleged kidnappers sounded like they are Nigerian nationals,” said Colonel A Myburgh.

The teenager claimed further that she managed to escape from her alleged kidnappers by jumping out of the vehicle and ultimately opened a case of kidnapping at Jouberton Police Station.

The police then immediately began their investigation and discovered that the complainant lied under oath and a case of perjury was registered.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde.