A Global Trade
kidnap cases are normally well planned and are therefore not the remit of low-level criminals. This model of kidnap has been copied across the globe with a large amount of success. The length of kidnap is not normally very long as the kidnappers will be on a time line to achieve the perceived payout or criminal action.
Virtual kidnap
The virtual kidnap is a scam or pretend kidnap scenario where the victim’s family is tricked into believing that their loved one has been abducted. These are normally carried out by low-level criminal gangs, who will demand a small ransom payment. This is normally due to the short window of opportunity they have to accomplish the con.
Bride, Slave, Child kidnap
The last areas of kidnappings all involve the victim as the product, and not always for financial gain. Bride, slave and child abductions are all increasing forms of kidnap. All three have been around for thousands of years in many various forms. Bride kidnaps are a form of forced marriage, particularly found in many countries in Africa and central Asia. The slave kidnappings are greatly driven now by the international sex industry, which spreads to all corners of the globe. The cases of child abduction and the believed origin of “Kid Nap” are very diverse, from involvement with the sex trade to marriage disputes,
© CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – AUTUMN 2013
particularly with parents of different origins. Why and who is doing it
The main reason for kidnap is for financial gain in one form or another. This is often down to the “Rich man Poor man” global imbalance. Your perceived wealth makes you an automatic potential victim in over 90% of countries that you might do business in. You will be profiled for your cash, by the clothes you’re wearing, the iPhone you are talking on, the leather luggage your wife bought you and the 007 glow in the dark with built in shark repellent watch that you always wear on missions (business trips). Sometimes it could be blamed on wrong time wrong place, but this is often a poor excuse for not pre- planning and mitigating the risks in each region and country you visit.
The perpetrators of the kidnaps, well they’re normally businessmen too; only their product is you!
Statistics
Given more time and pages we could look at the statistics on a country and region basis but, to be honest, the list of types of kidnap above could happen anywhere in the world. The top ten countries fight with each other year in year out for the number one spot. However, it is practically guaranteed that Nigeria, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and a large portion of South America will always make the league tables.
They now have competition from other countries for their placement in the top ten, from the likes of Venezuela, Sudan (North and South), Syria, and Libya etc. Many of the figures surrounding K&R will vary depending on who’s writing them, such as the number of kidnaps per year: 20,000 per year, 30,000 per year, even more in some cases, have been quoted. The undeniable fact is that the global trade in human kidnapping for ransom is on the increase.
Mitigation
How does a company or individual who lives in the Western world, and is therefore most likely to be in the top 3% when it comes down to wealth and earnings globally, mitigate against becoming a victim of kidnap? Well, you can take out an insurance policy, which is most definitely a good idea, you could perhaps adapt your working regions so you don’t visit any of the “bad-land,” but these hostile areas or “bad-lands” are spreading along with the kidnap business model. Another option is to take professional training to teach you or your employees about the risks, how to recognise them and how to prevent you becoming one of the statistics of kidnap.
Mark Daley, Director Ark Risk Management Group
www.arkrmg.com
> 3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40