5 Apr 2019

Fiji police investigate another boy's abduction claims

11:26 am on 5 April 2019

The Fiji police say they're investigating another alleged abduction case this time involving a nine-year-old boy.

70710201 - lautoka, fiji -  dec 30 2016:fijian police officers patrolling in the main street. the fiji police force annual statistics reveal an 18% increase in crime cases in 2015.

Photo: rafaelbenari/123RF

They said the boy claims he was taken from outside his home early yesterday by three men and forced into a van where two others were waiting.

It's claimed his hands and feet were tied but he managed to escape by jumping out of the moving van a few metres from his home near Nasali, according to a police statement.

The boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Last month the police closed an investigation into the case of a 13-year-old boy who'd claimed he'd been drugged and abducted by a group of men.

The police went on to scotch speculation on social media a group of organ traffickers was operating in Fiji.

"A thorough investigation will be conducted to verify the claims of abduction and again we must stress that people must not speculate or create unnecessary panic on unsubstantiated information that is yet to be verified by investigators," the police said in a statement on the latest case.

The boy's mother Arieta Namini told the Fiji Times her son had described how he jumped out of the van with his hands still tied to rope attached to the vehicle.

She said they continued to drag him until he was able to free his hands.

She said she had lived in Nabua, Rewa for more than a decade and never imagined anything like that would happen to one of her children.