Expatriate Risk Management Kidnapping and Ransom CMME

EXPATRIATE RISK MANAGEMENT:
KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM
RICHARD A. POSTHUMA, JD, PHD
AND JAIME GARCIA


KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM
Learning Objectives

 Analysis: be able to understand and analyze the risk of kidnapping and
ransom
 Avoidance: learn how to avoid the risk of being in situations where
kidnapping might occur
 Prevention: learn how to reduce the likelihood that a kidnapping will
happen
 Minimize Harm: learn how to minimize the harm that is caused if a
kidnapping does occur

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
Reality
 When employees go to work in some foreign countries, they are
at greater risk of becoming victims of kidnapping for ransom.
Definitions
 Kidnapping means being taken and/or detained against your will
by threat or force.
 Ransom is the money and/or things demanded from the family or

the employer of the kidnapped employee in order to release the
victim from captivity.

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
Types of Kidnapping for Ransom
 Virtual
 Someone calls and falsely states that a loved one has been
kidnapped. To insure their safe release you need to do something like
deposit money in a specific bank account.
 Express (also called “Lightning” or “McKidnapping”)
 A person is actually kidnapped and held for a short time and a small
ransom is paid. They might brought to their bank’s ATM machine and
told to withdraw the maximum amount, and then held until midnight
when they are told to withdraw the maximum again.
 Traditional
 A person is actually kidnapped and a message is sent or phone calls
are made to their loved ones and/or employer asking for a large
ransom for their safe release.

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS

Virtual
 The victims may be targeted through careful planning or selected at random.
Express
 Often the victims are chosen at random.
Traditional
 The most complicated form of kidnapping that often involves planning and
surveillance of the victims by the kidnappers.

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
Actual recent case examples

 The captain and crew of a tanker ship carrying chemicals and flying a
Singapore flag was kidnapped off the coast of Nigeria with kidnappers
demanding share of oil money.
 Two French businessmen were kidnapped in Argentina.
 Six expatriate engineers kidnapped in Nigeria.
 In Venezuela a petroleum company manager’s wife was kidnapped
and the kidnappers used her cell phone to call him with a ransom
demand.
 In Mexico, an employee of a manufacturing company was kidnapped
and a ransom of cash and two vehicles was paid for his safe release.

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
Kidnapping Statistics
 98% of all kidnappings occur within ½ mile of the victim’s home or
office
 85% of kidnappings happen with the help of people who are close to
the victim
 90% of kidnapping victims survive
 80% of kidnapping victims receive food and water
 Mexico has one of the highest rates of kidnapping in the world
 Kidnappers and their accomplices often do surveillance of their
possible victims for 2 to 3 weeks before the commit the act of
kidnapping

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
FREQUENCY BY REGION

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
COUNTRIES RANKED BY RISK OF KIDNAPPING

Source: Clayton Consultants, Inc. 2010
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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS

Source: American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, 2010

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
INCREASE IN REPORTED AND UNREPORTED KIDNAPPINGS IN MEXICO, 2008 TO 2009

Source: EFE News Agency, Mexico, 2010

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
WHO IS TARGETED FOR KIDNAPPING

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
Risk factors that could increase the likelihood of being chosen as a
target

 The appearance of living in an expensive home
 Living in an exclusive neighborhood
 Appearance of guards protecting your residence
 Frequenting expensive restaurants or exclusive social clubs
 Displaying an ostentatious attitude in front of others
 Being employed in a high paying profession
 Appearance of special privileges (e.g., parking, chauffer)
 Wearing company clothing that identifies you as an employee of a
high paying employer

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
OUTCOMES FOR VICTIMS

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: ANALYSIS
OUTCOMES IN MEXICO WITH AND WITHOUT POLICE INVOLVEMENT

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM:
A RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: AVOIDANCE
Keeping a low profile
 Wear plain clothes (maybe just blue jeans)
 Look like the other people around you
 Don’t be ostentatious…
 Don’t wear expensive clothes, watches, or jewelry
 Don’t drive a new and expensive car
 Don’t display fancy electronic devices
 Avoid appearance of wealth…

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: AVOIDANCE
Avoid situations where you might be kidnapped.
While Driving:
 Travel safe routes
 Don’t get lost
 Avoid driving the same route
 Be unpredictable
 Change the streets that you drive on
 Change the times that you arrive and leave
 Keep gas tank full
 Travel during the day
 If you are in immediate threat of serious physical harm, your vehicle
could be used as weapon against kidnappers.
 Never stop your vehicle

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: AVOIDANCE
TRAVEL SAFE ROUTES; VARY TRAVEL
Bridges to Safer Areas

Workplace
Entrance

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: AVOIDANCE
While Driving (continued)
 Always be able to escape if being chased
 Have an escape route planned
 Drive in lanes that will keep you from being boxed in
 Leave a space between you and the vehicle in front of you
so that you can escape
 You should be able to see the rear tires of the car in front
of you
 Know where there is a safe place or refuge
 Avoid putting stickers or insignia on your vehicle that
indicate where you work or live
 Avoid driving alone, Car pool
 Stay able to communicate
 Have a cell phone and foreign calling card

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: AVOIDANCE
Avoid making yourself a target
 Keep personal information private
 Don’t carry business cards, family pictures and credit cards in your wallet (this will
prevent an express kidnapping from becoming a traditional kidnapping)

 Don’t give business cards to people that you don’t know
 Eliminate your name and voice from your voicemail and cell phone answering
protocol

Know your neighbors
Don’t reveal information to people unless they need to know
Check the backgrounds of everyone that works for you
Remain alert at all times, don’t get distracted
Park in safe, open, well lit places with spaces between cars
Don’t stay in your parked car
Keep your keys in your hand

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: PREVENTION
 Change your routines
 Often kidnappers will do surveillance to find out when you are most vulnerable.
Change the following:
 The times of departures and arrivals
 The days of the week
 The travel routes
 Destinations
 Methods of transportation (car, SUV, etc.)

 Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings
 Watch for someone following you.
 Keep the vehicle in “drive” and engine running

 Engage the automatic door locks

 Keep vehicle windows closed or only slightly open

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: PREVENTION
Surveillance Detection: What to do if you think a vehicle is
following you.
To determine if they are following you
 make a U-turn where it is safe to do so
 make a turn to the right or left
 (create complications for the kidnappers doing surveillance
by using oncoming traffic to delay them)
 go through a traffic light just as it is turning red
 stop just beyond a curve or hill
 circle a block
 If a car has been behind you for more than 5 minutes, they
may be following you.

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: PREVENTION
If you are walking and you suspect that someone is following you…

 Stop suddenly to see if they also stop
 Go into a public place or business where there are a lot of people
If you are being followed..
 Go to the nearest
 crowded place (e.g., a business)
 police station
 Pre-designated safe house
 If in your vehicle…
 sound your horn
 flash your lights

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KIDNAPPING AND RANSOM: MINIMIZE THE
HARM

Minimize the harm that is caused if a kidnapping does
occur.
 Keep your family aware of your whereabouts:
 Sometimes kidnappers will call family members
claiming that they have you when it is not true.
 Family and/or trusted persons at the company should
know the following:
 Where are you going?
 Where are you now?
 What is the purpose of your meeting?
 Use security codes or passwords that are well known to

your family and trusted associates.

© CMME 2010

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