Latin America

There were a number of notable kidnapping cases in Latin America in 2018. In Colombia, the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army, ELN) continues to hold several hostages, some kidnapped as recently as September 2018. Though it is uncertain exactly how many hostages different ELN fronts have detained, estimates indicate that 10 people are still being held by the militant group; some having been missing for over a decade. Beyond Colombia, monthly kidnapping numbers in Mexico are also high, standing at approximately 130 per month. Virtual and express kidnappings also continue to permeate the region, due to the proliferation of organised criminal gangs, as well as smaller criminal bands who conduct kidnappings on a more opportunistic basis.

Case in Point: Two Ecuadorian journalists kidnapped and executed

Perhaps the most notable kidnapping case of the year in Latin America was the 26 March 2018 kidnapping, and subsequent execution, by Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia dissidents (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC), of two journalists and their driver along the Colombian border in Esmereldas Province, Ecuador. In a proof of life video, the captives beckoned the Lenín Moreno government to end joint security operations with Colombia and facilitate an exchange of prisoners. The Moreno government subsequently pulled out of participating in ELN-Colombia peace talks.

Europe & North America

Kidnap for ransom cases remain comparatively infrequent in Europe and North America, with reported kidnapping incidents in 2018 representing about 12 percent of all cases globally. A large portion of this figure is attributable to the kidnapping of 50 migrants in Thessaloniki, Greece, in May 2018. The targets of kidnapping incidents vary in Europe, with victims historically having originated from South Asia, the Middle East and eastern Europe. In North America, kidnappers targeted foreign nationals, including Latin American and Chinese businesspeople, in isolated incidents in 2018.

Case in Point: Businessman kidnapped in California

On 16 July 2018, three armed men forced the owner of a luxury car dealership, a businessman of Chinese nationality, into a minivan outside his residence in San Gabriel, California. The perpetrators have demanded a ransom of USD 2 million. Law enforcement officials had not detained the perpetrators or rescued the victim at time of writing.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Kidnap for ransom remains a prominent threat in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Over 100 high profile cases took place in 2018, by a variety of different perpetrators. Militant groups in countries like Cameroon, Somalia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue to use kidnappings as a way to finance their operations. Organised criminal groups are primarily behind kidnap for ransom incidents in countries like South Africa, Nigeria and Mozambique. Between January and April 2018, at least seven prominent foreign nationals belonging to the business community were kidnapped in South Africa, with typical ransom amounts equalling USD 1.4 million. Piracy-related kidnappings continued in the Gulf of Guinea, in 2018, where 102 crewmembers were kidnapped in the first half of the year, up from 63 in the same period in 2017. We do not anticipate a significant decline in kidnapping cases in 2019 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Case in Point: Kidnapping of Polish businesswoman in South Africa

On 10 April 2018, a 54-year old Polish businesswoman was kidnapped outside her hotel in Johannesburg. She was released three days later following a USD 2.29 million ransom payment.

Case in Point: UK nationals kidnapped in the DRC

On 11 May 2018, two UK nationals were kidnapped while on a walk in the DRC’s Virunga National park. A park ranger accompanying the victims was killed during the attack. The victims were held hostage for two days by an unidentified armed group before being released. It remains unclear whether a ransom was paid, or who the perpetrators were.

Middle East & North Africa

The Middle East & North Africa region accounts for approximately 10 percent of all reported global kidnap for ransom cases. In 2018, kidnap for ransom incidents by Islamist militant groups continued to decrease across the region, mainly due to Islamic State’s (IS) ongoing military setbacks in Iraq and Syria. Although the group continues to kidnap local nationals when the opportunity arises, they did not manage to kidnap a foreign national in either country in 2018. Nevertheless, there remain hundreds of militias and criminal groups operating across Iraq, Libya and Syria, who pose a high threat of kidnapping and extortion to foreign and local nationals. In Yemen, Houthi rebels continued to carry out kidnapping attacks against both local and foreign nationals. While most of these cases were politically motivated or aimed at exchanging hostages for Houthi fighters, there have been documented cases where civilians were held unlawfully to extort money from relatives.

Case in Point: Foreign engineers kidnapped in Libya

On 6 July 2018, an unidentified armed group kidnapped four foreign engineers - three Philippine nationals and one South Korean - working at a water plant project near Ash Shwayrif, 325km south of Tripoli, in south-eastern Libya. A number of Libyan workers were also initially taken but were released later the same day. In early August 2018, the kidnappers – who remain unidentified but are widely believed to be a militia and not a terrorist group – released a video of the hostages, who urged their respective governments to secure their release. Both South Korea and the Philippines reportedly deployed warships to the shores of Libya in an apparent show of force, but the progress of negotiations remains unclear. In mid-November 2018, South Korean authorities reported that their national remains in captivity but is in good health.

Russia & CIS

The Russia CIS region accounts for about two percent of reported kidnapping incidents worldwide. The majority of kidnapping victims in Russia CIS are from Central Asia and the Caucasus region, and predominantly comprise unskilled migrant workers. Nevertheless, sophisticated kidnap for ransom gangs carried out a number of high profile kidnappings in 2018, with perpetrators commonly demanding ransom in cryptocurrency.

Case in Point: Cryptocurrency creator kidnapped in Moscow

On 23 February 2018, four armed men attacked Yury Mayorov, the creator of cryptocurrency PRIZM, before forcing the victim into a vehicle on Isakovskogo Street, Moscow. Mayorov was beaten and robbed of USD 20,000 and three iPhones. Although reports indicate that the kidnappers initially intended to demand a ransom from the victim’s family, they ultimately forced the victim to use a laptop to make a transfer of 300 Bitcoins, worth approximately USD 2.6 million at the time. The victim was released by the perpetrators less than eight hours later.

Asia Pacific

Several kidnap for ransom trends emerged in the Asia-Pacific region in 2018. Most notably, there was a significant decrease in the number of reported kidnappings in the Philippines, the regional kidnapping hotspot. Specifically, there were at least 55 percent fewer cases reported across the Philippines between January and July 2018 versus the same period the previous year. This decrease is largely attributable to a reduction in maritime kidnappings by Islamist militants in the southern Philippines. There are indications, however, that this trend is ebbing, given at least one militant-linked maritime kidnapping case in September 2018. Other significant regional trends include an increase in kidnappings linked to gambling debts in Southeast Asia, many of which are related to predominantly Chinese loan-sharking gangs. For example, at least 44 Chinese nationals were arrested in connection with such cases in 2018, including 27 in Cambodia and 17 in the Philippines.

Case in Point: Kidnapping of Indonesian nationals of the coast of Malaysia

In September 2018, suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants kidnapped three Indonesian fishermen off the coast of Malaysia's Sabah State. According to an eyewitness, the perpetrators were armed with assault rifles and spoke Suluk, a dialect common in the southern Philippines, where ASG is based. The group subsequently demanded a MYR 4 million (approximately USD 955,000) ransom to secure the victims’ release. The case has renewed concerns regarding ASG's involvement in maritime kidnappings in the Sulu and Celebes seas after an 18-month period of relative inactivity.

Case in Point: Virtual kidnappings targeting Chinese nationals abraod

Chinese nationals travelling abroad for the purposes of work or study have been increasingly targeted in virtual kidnapping attacks. Perpetrators typically pose as Chinese law enforcement personnel, using this cover to gain access to a prospective victim's social media account. The information gathered from these accounts is then used to extort family or friends back in China, by convincing them their loved-one has been kidnapped. While definite statistics are currently unavailable, numerous cases of Chinese expatriate businesspeople or students studying at foreign universities have been reported worldwide, including in Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK.