A 25-year-old man from the Western Cape who allegedly staged his kidnapping will appear in court on Friday.
Spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk says it is alleged that the foreign national used his rent money for gambling and decided to stage his kidnapping and extort money from his family.
He says the suspect's brother reported him as being kidnapped after he received a message from an unknown number demanding a ransom of R5 000.
Captain van Wyk says according to him his brother was supposed to deposit their rent money before his phone was switched off.
He says much later in the day the brother's wife also received a message from a different number where the ransom demand was increased to R15 000.
On 9 January, a week after the so-called kidnapping the family gave in to the demands and paid R15 000 via an e-wallet.
Captain van Wyk says the following afternoon the suspect returned home and spilled the beans.
The man is currently being detained at the Phillippi East Police Station and is scheduled to appear in the Athlone Magistrates Court on Friday.
