Hawks Arrest East London Woman for Faking Kidnapping To Extort Money From Family, Appears in Court

• The Eastern Cape Hawks have arrested a woman who allegedly faked her kidnapping to extort money from her family
• The incident was uncovered after her boyfriend reported the kidnapping to the police, unaware that it was an elaborate ruse
• The Hawks arrested the woman on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, while she was expected to appear in court the next day
• Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Avele Fumba told Briefly News the net was closing on a second suspect for complicity

EAST LONDON — An Eastern Cape woman is in hot water for faking her kidnapping, all to solicit money from her family.

This has spurred an investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation's (DPCI) Kidnapping Task Team, resulting in the woman's arrest on Wednesday, 29 January 2025.

Woman 'fake-kidnapped' to extort money

Police are hunting a male accomplice.

Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Avele Fumba said the pair planned to extort money from the woman's family and her boyfriend. On Sunday, 13 October 2024, her distressed lover reported that she had been kidnapped.

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"He [the boyfriend] allegedly received disturbing images and videos of her [appearing to be] tied up, with her mouth sealed shut with tape. A ransom demand then followed. He reportedly contacted the victim's sister, who confirmed receiving the same disturbing message from [an unknown] number."

The Hawks took over the case to begin a thorough investigation before the Kidnapping Task Team swiftly launched an operation, which uncovered the shocking scheme amid an increase in fake kidnapping reports.

"The so-called victim was allegedly in on the hoax. Further investigations found that the kidnapping was staged. She was aided by the accomplice to extort ransom money from her loved ones, and they planned to split the proceeds."

The Hawks arrested Namhla Makaka, 34, on 29 January.

She appeared in the East London Magistrate's Court on 30 January, facing perjury. The court postponed the case for further investigations.

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Fumba told Briefly News Makaka was released on a warning and is scheduled to reappear in court on 7 March.

He said additional charges were possible while her accomplice was still at large.

"But the Hawks are out there and the net was closing on him. We urge anyone with information about similar incidents to come forward. Identities of informants will be kept strictly confidential."

Hawks Provincial Head Maj-Gen Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, in a statement, sternly warned those who wasted state resources by fabricated crimes.

"It will not be tolerated. Those who abuse the system for personal gain will face the full might of the law," he added.

This story will be updated with the outcome of the court appearance.

Toddler kidnapped in Laudium found

In related news, Briefly News reported that cops arrested a group for allegedly kidnapping a four-year-old boy in Laudium, Tshwane, on Tuesday, 21 January.

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The child was found three days later nearby in Danville, about eight kilometres away. Police nabbed five undocumented foreigners, aged 24 to 37, and charged them for abducting him from his father's friend's home.

Source: Briefly News