An unidentified man from Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, is due to appear in court on criminal charges related to fabricating a kidnapping and hijacking.
Verulam man due in court for hoax kidnapping
In a statement, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) revealed the caller claimed to be a passenger in a vehicle that was hijacked by four unknown men in the Verulam CBD.
However, subsequent investigations by RUSA revealed that the entire story was a hoax.
The RUSA Operations Centre received an alarming call from a man reporting a hijacking incident on Todd Street in Verulam on Tuesday morning.
According to the caller, he was a passenger in the vehicle when the alleged hijackers forcibly took control of the car, leaving him behind at the scene.
He then left the area and reported the incident to his brother, prompting RUSA to initiate a swift response.
Responding to the report, at least 15 RUSA officers were immediately dispatched to search for the vehicle and the alleged victim.
Simultaneously, the RUSA R44 Helicopter was prepared for takeoff to assist in locating the missing vehicle and person. Officers conducted interviews with car guards in the vicinity of Todd Street, but no witnesses could confirm the reported hijacking.
CCTV Footage Contradicts the Story
Further investigations led RUSA members to review CCTV footage from nearby businesses, which contradicted the caller’s claims. The footage showed the owner of the vehicle calmly exiting the Verulam CBD without any signs of duress or forced abduction.
As the search continued, RUSA officers managed to trace the caller to Inca Drive in Everest Heights. Upon arriving at his residence, they discovered that the caller was heavily intoxicated. He subsequently changed his version of events, claiming that the driver had abandoned him near a local butchery.
During the course of events, the RUSA Operations Centre received multiple calls from concerned members of the public who had seen a hijacking/kidnapping post circulating on Facebook regarding the incident.
These callers reported spotting the supposedly missing man at a property located at the corner of Kissoon Road and the R102 in Ottawa, KwaZulu-Natal.
In a surprising twist, RUSA officers confirmed that the driver of the vehicle was safe and had not experienced any hijacking or kidnapping. The entire episode turned out to be a false report, leading to significant public alarm.
The man responsible for fabricating the kidnapping and hijacking story is now due to appear in court on criminal charges related to his actions.