A 34-year-old woman from the Eastern Cape is set to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after being arrested for allegedly staging her own kidnapping in a bid to extort money from her family and boyfriend. The woman, along with a male accomplice, was apprehended on Wednesday by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks.
Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Hawks, detailed the case, stating that the woman is accused of orchestrating the fake abduction to solicit ransom money. “Their deliberate intentions were allegedly to extort money from her family and boyfriend,” Fumba explained.
The incident began on October 13, 2024, when the woman’s boyfriend reported her missing after receiving alarming images and video clips showing her tied up with her mouth sealed shut with tape. Soon after, he received a ransom demand. The boyfriend contacted the woman’s sister, who confirmed receiving similar disturbing messages from the same phone number.
The matter was escalated to the Hawks for an in-depth investigation. Although the woman was “released” the same day, the Hawks’ Kidnapping Task Team launched a swift operation that uncovered a shocking twist—the supposed victim was allegedly complicit in the scheme.
“Further investigations revealed that the victim had allegedly staged the entire kidnapping and conspired with her accomplice to extract ransom money from her loved ones, with plans to split the funds,” Fumba said. The woman’s arrest followed intensive investigative efforts, and authorities indicated that more arrests are imminent.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, issued a stern warning against such fraudulent activities. “Wasting state resources on fabricated crimes will not be tolerated. Those who abuse the system for personal gain will face the full might of the law,” Ngwenya declared.
The Hawks have urged anyone with information about similar incidents to come forward, emphasizing their commitment to pursuing justice in cases of extortion and fraud.
