Police arrest bet loser for staging kidnapping in Kajiado

Police have arrested a suspect who allegedly abducted himself and demanded a Sh100,000 ransom from his sister after a string of losses in gambling.

The 25-year-old man was arrested on Friday following an abduction report at the Kajiado police station.

The detectives conducted an operation on Friday morning in Kitengela town, where the man had hid for hours in a lodging while demanding ransom from his family.

He was found with a rope tied around his legs and arms and a bloody bandage that kept his mouth shut, a gimmick police said was calculated and staged to influence the family to act fast and send him the ransom.

The family had made a report at Kajiado police station Thursday night, indicating that the man had been shoved in a Toyota Probox by two men who pretended to offer him a lift.

Detectives acting on the report swung into action and traced the alleged victim to a lodging in Kitengela.

Upon rescue and brief interrogation, detectives uncovered that the kidnapping was an extortion scheme orchestrated by the ‘victim’ and his accomplice after he (the suspect) lost his entire November salary to betting.

Recovered were Sh10,100 in cash and the handset he was using to communicate with the family.

Also taken as exhibits were a scalpel blade and bandages he was using on the self-inflicted wound to create the impression that his kidnappers were ruthless and meant business.

He had sent the pictures to his sister, claiming he was injured by his kidnappers. The man was handed over to DCI Kajiado for legal processing and arraignment.

Such cases have been on the rise with individuals staging their kidnapping for money from relatives and friends.

In October, Meru detectives arrested three 17-year-olds who staged a fake kidnapping. They staged a kidnapping to extort Sh6 million from one of their families.