Woman in fake kidnapping case remanded for 14 days

PETALING JAYA: A woman believed to have staged her own kidnapping to obtain RM18,000 in ransom money from her mother has been remanded for 14 days to assist in the investigation.

Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director M Kumar said the remand order on the woman and her alleged accomplice was obtained from the Johor Bahru magistrates’ court today, Bernama reported.

“The two individuals will be brought to Sarawak to facilitate the completion of the investigation under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961 for kidnapping for ransom,” he was quoted as saying.

Yesterday, it was reported that the woman, in her 20s, was arrested after being found safe during an Op Scorpion raid at a house in Taman Perniagaan Setia, Johor Bahru, at about 3.30pm.

Kumar said the operation was launched following a report lodged by the woman’s 43-year-old mother at the Padawan police headquarters in Sarawak on Friday, claiming that her daughter had been abducted by unknown individuals.

During the raid, police also arrested a 27-year-old man with a criminal record for three drug-related and criminal offences.

Kumar said a preliminary investigation revealed inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s account of the kidnapping, leading to her arrest to assist in the investigation.