Police plan to sue baby Siwaphiwe's kidnappers

Police plan to sue the suspects accused of staging a bogus kidnapping in Durban on Friday.

The Star newspaper reported that one-month-old baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo was snatched during what was reported as a hijacking on Friday afternoon.

“This was a false case and cost us money and resources that could have been deployed in other places‚” said Major-General Bala Naidoo‚ KwaZulu-Natal deputy provincial commissioner for the detective service.

• The mother, her boyfriend, and his other girlfriend - the 'abduction' of Siwaphiwe MbamboA secret love affair lies at the heart of the abduction of baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo‚ which culminated in her being found after two nights with her kidnappers‚ a high-speed car chase - and the arrest of her mother. 

The search for baby Siwaphiwe sparked a massive police hunt last week and spawned the hashtag #BringBackDurbanBaby.

The police operation involved officers‚ vehicles and even aircraft. Members of the community also took part in the search.

• Timeline: How police saved baby SiwaphiweAs police officers sharpen their gaze on who masterminded the abduction of baby Siwaphiwe Mbambo‚ they are expected to examine in precise detail each development in the saga of her disappearance. 

Police had offered a reward of R250‚000 for information regarding the kidnapping.

The bill for the operation could easily total R500‚000‚ a source told The Star.

Three suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The suspects include the baby’s mother and her boyfriend.