Woman, lover arrested after faking kidnapping and demanding ransom from husband

A 34-year-old woman who was allegedly cheating on her husband has been arrested with her 60-year-old boyfriend for allegedly faking her kidnapping with the help of her lover and demanding a ransom from her unsuspecting husband.

According to the Limpopo police, the couple was arrested “following an elaborate deception that traumatised a family and wasted valuable police resources”.

Spokesperson for the Limpopo police, Col Malesela Ledwaba, said on May 2, the husband had dropped off his wife at Tibane Crossroad hiking spot, in Matlala in Mokopane at about 11am as she had said she was going to visit her family in Garawele village.

However, he later tried to contact her, but she was unreachable.

“When attempts to contact his wife that evening proved unsuccessful, and family members confirmed she had not arrived at her destination, the complainant suspected foul play and immediately reported the matter to Matlala SAPS.”

While the husband was busy giving a statement to the police, he received a distressing phone call from his wife's cellphone, Ledwaba said.

“An unknown male voice demanded R5,000 ransom money, while the sound of a woman crying could be heard in the background. The caller abruptly ended the call, only to phone again from a different number with further ransom demands.

“However, a thorough police investigation revealed a shocking twist – there was no kidnapping. The woman had voluntarily left with her boyfriend and both individuals had orchestrated the entire deception, including the ransom calls, to extort money from the unsuspecting husband.

Both suspects were arrested.

Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe has since issued a stern warning regarding such criminal deception, stating that the SAPS will not tolerate individuals who manipulate family bonds and exploit genuine concern to commit fraud and extortion.

“This case demonstrates the emotional trauma and resource wastage caused by false reporting and criminal deception.”

“We want to send a clear message that fabricating kidnapping scenarios for financial gain is a serious criminal offence that will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Our officers work tirelessly to investigate genuine missing person cases and those who abuse this system will face the consequences,” she said.

SowetanLIVE