SINGAPORE: A man allegedly faked his own kidnapping to recoup gambling debts.
The 33-year-old man was charged in court on Mar 11 with attempting to cheat his aunt, reported Channel News Asia (CNA).
The Chinese national is alleged to have attempted to deceive his aunt into paying a ransom of 30,000 yuan (RM19,550) for his release, according to the news portal.
According to police, he had sent threatening messages to his aunt, pretending to be his kidnapper.
The plan was hatched at Marina Bay Sands Casino on Mar 7 and Mar 8, according to court documents.
He pleaded not guilty and will next appear in court for a pre-trial conference on Mar 25.
The accused entered Singapore on Mar 1 as a tourist, and was supposed to leave on Mar 6.
However, his aunt, located in China received messages from an unknown person seeking the ransom of 30,000 yuan to secure his release.
The supposed kidnapper forwarded a photo of his travel document as proof, reported CNA.
Following a search by police, he was found "safe and sound" in the Marina Bay area within three hours.
Investigations revealed that he had gambling debts of between S$20,000(RM70,400) and S$30,000(RM106,000), the police said.
If convicted of attempted cheating, he could be jailed for up to 10 years or fined, or both.