A 20-year-old learner from Dennilton in Limpopo and his 24-year-old friend were arrested on Saturday for allegedly faking a kidnapping and demanding ransom from his family.

 NOT RETURNING HOME

 It's alleged that the learner went to school on Friday as usual but failed to return home from school which is 3 kilometres from his home. His mother got worried when it became late with her son nowhere to be found. Limpopo SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the mother informed her husband when he returned from work about their ?missing' son. "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." Mojapelo said.

 LOST AND FOUND

The parents went on a search for their son and then enquired about his whereabouts from one of his classmates who confirmed that he didn't attend classes on Friday, and they never saw him. "Later in the evening at about 8pm, an unknown person called the family using the son's number and demanded R7 000 in cash for the learner's release. "The person who was calling threatened to kill their if they failed to comply. The matter was immediately reported to the police and a case of kidnapping was opened," said Mojapelo. Mojapelo said they wasted no time and immediately they deployed a special team that included the SAPS hostage negotiators, for thorough investigation and possible arrest of the culprits was deployed. "Investigation revealed that the victim was in Tafelkop under Motetema policing area. The team made observations at various homesteads in Tafelkop and the supposed kidnapper arrived at the spot they agreed to exchange the ransom. "He led the team to where the learner was. The two were taken in for questioning. The duo was arrested after they confessed to have conspired and faked the kidnapping in order to get the money from the family." said Mojapelo.

 BE WARNED

Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe had strongly condemned the incident. "We are at times receiving reports of kidnapping and are obliged to act immediately by mobilizing 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," said Hadebe. The two suspects will appear before the Mdutjana Magistrate's Court in Siyabuswa on Monday 13 March 2023 facing a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and utterly.