Maputo — Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) on Tuesday detained a 43-year-old woman in Maputo for faking her own kidnapping.

According to Sernic spokesperson, Hilário Lole, the woman (whose name has not been released) was trying to persuade her partner, who is believed to be her lover, that she had been kidnapped.

"The woman, who lives in the Mahotas neighbourhood (on the outskirts of Maputo city), sent messages to her lover last Friday, while she was at home, informing him that she had been kidnapped in the Polana Caniço neighbourhood', he said.

According to Lole, the woman said that the criminals were demanding the sum of 100,000 Rands (5,440 dollars, at the current exchange rate) in exchange for her release.

The woman and her lover, said Lole, were planning to open a business importing vehicles from South Africa.

Far from being held by criminals, "the woman was at her home, where she lived with her husband and children', added Lole. "The mystery of her false kidnapping was solved on Sunday, after SERNIC, with the operational support of the Protection Police, located her at her home. It was there that we ascertained that she was in good health and that her entire story had all been made up'.