Jobless hubby kidnaps himself

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KOTA KINABALU: Jobless and in need of money, a former government servant staged his own abduction and demanded a ransom of RM8,000 for his release.

Several months after he was laid off by his company, the man, in his 30’s, made up a story about being kidnapped by a group of people to his family.

Posing as a kidnapper, the husband sent an SMS to his wife on May 7 this year, informing her that he was being held hostage by a group of people and demanded RM8,000 for his release.

After several rounds of negotiations through SMS with his wife, the man then agreed to settle for a RM5,000 ransom.

The husband had also sent a photo of himself as proof that he was abducted, and instructed his wife to bank in the money into his own bank account.

However, fearing for her husband’s safety, the 22-year-old wife lodged a police report on the incident.

City police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun yesterday said that following the police report, police from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) investigated the case.

“On May 16, nine days after the alleged kidnapping, the wife received a photo of her husband as well as SMS instructing her to bank in the so-called ransom money into her husband’s bank account.

“Police immediately deployed a surveillance team to ambush the alleged kidnappers in a bank here in the state capital.

“Several hours after the money was deposited, police saw the husband walking into the bank to withdraw the ransom money.

“He was immediately arrested and taken to the police station for questioning,” Jauteh said.

He said the husband initially claimed he was indeed kidnapped but after further questioning, confessed that the whole incident was made up and he was never abducted.

“The husband actually acted alone and police believe the motive was to get money from his family after he was laid off by his company,” he said, adding that the husband was moving around the state capital to avoid being detected by his family or the police.

Jauteh said the man had been remanded for further investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code.