Kidnapping where people are practically stolen from the streets and disappeared only to re-surface after a ransom is paid with the option to be forever gone with the wind! Others are tortured and killed. And who still wants to take a chance at being held for ransom and sometimes killed for failure to deliver the king’s ransom? The list of people is growing and who suffers most but the likes of the economy of Nigeria, which is bleeding off all potential additional tourism revenue due to instability occasioned by fear of kidnappers and other sundry anarchists parading in the country.
Icheoku had written similarly on the kidnapping menace in Enugu State, urging a precise determinate action against such terrorists. Kidnap and death of a high chief will like to urge the Federal government of Nigeria to make the crime of kidnapping a death-penalty offence. Kidnapping or fear of it paints Nigeria in a very bad light and sabotages its economy which would otherwise benefit from extra foreign exchange receipts from visitors, tourists and investors wishing to come to Nigeria. With the price of oil, the main stay of Nigeria’s economy, tanking, the government needs to start taking in revenue from other sources including tourism and the kidnappers should not be allowed to stand in the way. No price is too much to pay to put a stop to this nightmare and Icheoku pledges to support whatever action aimed at stamping out this scourge. The government of Nigeria should therefore treat these miscreants as economic saboteurs and mete a dissuading justice to them accordingly. On the hierarchy of crimes, Icheoku says that kidnapping should rank amongst treason as it attacks the very essence of Nigeria sustenance and by extension, its existence!
Now ranked among such countries like Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechyna, Philippines, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico, Nigeria really needs to press the accelerator to zoom out of this crowd fast. All the negative raps already heaped on Nigeria appear to be bad enough but add kidnapping to it and Nigeria becomes a completely no-go area. Admitted that criminals masking as “businessmen” will always brave any condition whatsoever to see if they can ink one contract or catch a deal anywhere, even in Hell, but the real issue should be the standing of Nigeria in the eyes of the world, especially the tourists. Being tagged a kidnapping Mecca of the world is a toga the Nigerian Foreign and Internal Affairs ministries should devote a greater percentage of their resources both in manpower, propaganda and money to wage a ruthless campaign against. They need to cleanse this insignia from Nigeria as the damage is unquantifiable both in revenue and reputation. Whatever it takes, let it be done including breaking some hands and legs if need be. Reputation is priceless and any nation without one is doomed!
Now take a little peek on how these top ten kidnapping-countries are viewed in the eyes of the world, in descending order:
10. Haiti – It remains an unsafe place to visit, even considering the presence of the UN stabilization force. Kidnappers and street gangs are thriving in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The targets include rich Haitians, diplomats, aid workers and, of course, foreign tourists.
9. Iraq – It doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the widespread civil violence, that Iraq isn’t one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Violence and kidnapping occur on a regular basis and are mainly aimed at foreigners. Once the home to the most ANCIENT civilizations, Iraq is now a place where several distinct forces are competing for control.
8. Afghanistan – Afghanistan has been experiencing a lot of turmoil in the wars that have been raging on for over 25 years. Presently, several areas of the country remain unsafe for travelers, Attacks targeting foreigners are ever frequent, especially suicide bombings concentrated around foreign embassies. Visitors are recommended to avoid gatherings, avoid traveling alone or at night. Afghanistan presently has one of the most volatile situations.
7. Chechnya – Ever since the Russian empire collapsed in 1991, southern Russian has been marked by the conflict between the Chechen separatists and the Russian forces, thus reducing almost most of the province to sad ruins of a long war. Rich in petro-chemicals, natural gas and oil, the country’s economy and infrastructure have been experiencing a serious crash, due to the on-going conflicts. Tourists are not safe in the country.
6. Nigeria – Africa’s most populous nation has a fascinating mixture of over 200 ethnic groups that, coupled with an unstable economy, often leads to a volatile situation. According to news reports, over 200 foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta, most situations being resolved with a ransom. It is not a paradise for tourists as they are easy targets of kidnappers.
5. Philippines – The archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands is a fascinating, laid back natural paradise, with friendly, engaging PEOPLE. But there’s a reason we included Philippines among the countries where tourists are most likely to get kidnapped. North Cotabato, Mindanao, Zamboanga peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu archipelago are just a few areas that a traveler should necessarily avoid. Apart from the usual robberies and kidnapping, foreigners also risk having a drug put in their drink that knocks one out immediately. Tourists are then either robbed, molested or have their kidneys taken. 10 hours are needed to wake up from the drug and another three days to remember what happened.
4.Venezuela – With some of the most spectacular landscapes and the longest waterfall in the world, Venezuela truly is a sight not to be missed, if you’re willing to leave aside street crime, kidnapping or political turmoil. If not, know that street crime is present daily throughout the country. Tourists in Venezuela are the easiest target for pickpockets; try to look like anything but a tourist. Don’t wear jewelry, watches, avoid unfolding maps, taking pictures and stay away from poor areas.
3. Colombia – National parks, high mountains, cruise boats or soaring skyscrapers are just a few of the numerous attractions Colombia has to offer. Even though it might sound like an untroubled paradise, Colombia has its fair share of drug dealers, robberies and kidnapping. Even though safety has improved in recent years, Colombia still suffers from high kidnapping and homicide rates in urban areas. The extra violence is provoked by the guerrillas which operate mainly in rural areas – tourists are warned to be avoid the border areas with Ecuador and Venezuela.
2. Brazil – The largest country in South America, teeming with beaches and untamed forests, Brazil is one of the most vibrant and colorful places on the continent. As with the other countries on the list, the downside is the street crime present in big cities, where attacks against tourists have become frequent. Apart from the usual kidnapping, there are also a high number of muggings; so simply leave your valuables at the hotel and take with you only a small amount of money. To top it all off, Brazil experienced an increase in the number of yellow fever and dengue fever cases, so be sure to have your shots before entering the country.
1. Mexico – Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. You’ll come across plenty of corruption and the usual street crime that comes with every big city. Kidnapping for ransom is fairly commonplace, especially in border cities such as Tijuana, Nogales or Juarez. As with other cities on the list, try not to look like a tourist, avoid flashing shiny, expensive objects and you should be fine.
This isn’t simply a list of places with the highest kidnapping rates. That directory would include no-brainers like Syria (which has been fighting a bloody civil war for three years) and Afghanistan (which has become a haven for jihadists). We’re assuming you don’t need someone to tell you that those places are somewhat perilous for travelers.
Our list focuses, instead, on countries that are first and foremost popular travel destinations—and that also happen to have a high rate of abductions and other crimes. There are some surprises on the list: India, for example, might seem out of place among the world’s kidnapping capitals, but the numbers don’t lie.
It’s not easy to wrangle data on kidnapping. For one, both governments and kidnapping victims are known to under report abductions. Also, there are numbers of different varieties of kidnapping, and not all countries classify every kind as a “kidnapping.” For example, in parts of Asia and Latin America, so-called virtual kidnappings are commonplace—that’s where the bad guys claim falsely that they have abducted someone and demand a ransom. In some countries, these go in the books as “fraud” not “kidnapping.” Another example: “Express kidnapping,” where hostages are taken for a day or two at most, just long enough to deplete their bank accounts or max out their CREDIT CARDS, are sometimes are logged as “robberies.”
In pulling together this list, we’ve adjusted for these various quirks and discrepancies to focus on the types of abductions that most often affect tourists and travelers.
Kidnap rate: Kidnapping isn’t a new threat in Mexico, but it is now endemic. In the last decade, kidnapping have grown 245 percent (and that’s just reported incidents). Last year, almost 1,583 kidnapping cases were reported to Mexican authorities—the highest number since Mexico began tracking kidnapping stats in 1997.
How the kidnaps typically play out: ”Express” and “virtual” varieties that target both locals and foreigners. Last year’s virtual kidnaps included a Spanish indie rock band visiting Mexico City to perform in a music festival and a U.S. citizen participating in an IRONMAN competition in Cozumel. The kidnappers demanded $380,000 for the band. Both these incidents were relatively mild. The country’s kidnappers have a reputation for being particularly violent: 935 victims were killed between 1994 and 2008.
Several highly publicized abductions and rape incidents involving tourists last year made headlines. One involved a 30-year-old American tourist who was offered a ride back to her hotel by three men. Instead, the men took her to a secluded spot and raped her.
What’s fueling the kidnapping: Poverty appears to be the single biggest driver. The country’s poorer states, like Bihar, regularly account for a large share of kidnaps. Several larger criminal organizations and rebel groups also use abductions to augment their revenue streams.
The bottom line: While visitors to India’s postcard-worthy wonders like the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri can be reasonably confident of their safety, both UNESCO heritage sites are in Uttar Pradesh, one of the Indian states with the highest number of abductions.
Kidnap rate: There were MORE than 1,000 kidnap-for-ransom incidents last year.
Caracas, the capital, has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. One of the more recent and harrowing kidnapping incidents took place in July 2012. A Portuguese man was taken from a highway service station and held captive in an underground bunker beneath a rural residence in Carabobo state for nearly a year. He was rescued in June 2013 (the perpetrators did not receive the $6.5 million ransom they had demanded).
What’s fueling the kidnapping: Lack of economic opportunities, especially in Caracas, create an environment conducive to kidnapping. In some of the city’s poorest areas, police are unable to maintain order, and criminals have license to do as they please.
The bottom line: Caracas is the country’s hotbed of kidnapping activity, and there are fewer risks for foreigners traveling outside the capital. But the key takeaway is this: Travel to Venezuela is not for the risk-averse, as it remains one of the most kidnapping-prone places in the world.
Kidnap rate: Some estimates suggest kidnapping rates rose as much as 94 percent in 2013. Our analysis showed at least 39 kidnapping last year, though given the current porous, shifting nature of the Syrian border, that number is almost certainly much higher. Kidnapping in the Philippines nearly doubled in 2013—and there were MORE than 20 kidnap-for-ransom cases alone.
While majority of abductees seem to be locals, aid workers, journalists and foreign tourists have been hit, too. Seven Estonian cyclists were abducted in March 2011 in an attack that Lebanese officials described as planned and coordinated. The cyclists were freed four months later. The Estonians later described their abductors as eight Islamic extremists armed with Kalashnikovs who had pressured them to convert to Islam.
Lebanon spent much of the ’70s and ’80s beset by a brutal civil war, and tit-for-tat kidnapping were a near-daily occurrence. The end of hostilities in the ’90s ushered in a period of relative stability, and tourism flourished. But the civil war in neighboring Syria has plunged Lebanon back into chaos.
Syria remains mired in conflict, kidnapping in Lebanon are unlikely to subside as Africa with the likes of Boko Haram. For the moment, Westerners have remained largely outside the cross hairs of kidnappers. As I warned back in September, Americans and Europeans could easily become the next victims, especially if local groups take issue with their countries’ foreign policies.
PIRATES trolling the Sulu Sea, which separates the Philippines islands from Malaysia’s Sabah region, have been the scene of numerous abductions over the last decade. Just last November, armed gunman took a Taiwanese tourist from an island just off Sabah after killing her husband. The tourist was rescued a month later. Officials have not said if a ransom was paid.
Criminals and separatist groups that operate in the region treat foreigners, particularly wealthy visitors from China, as human ATMs. Abu Sayyaf, a prominent militant Islamist group with links to Al Qaeda and ISIS has been responsible for numerous tourist abductions over the past few years. Some figures suggest the group has collected over $35 million in ransom fees.
The bottom line: Unfortunately, the coastal and island resorts in the southern Philippines that are particularly popular among vacationers are also frequented by kidnappers and PIRATES. The good news? The majority of abductees have been released unharmed. (Of course, that’s assuming you can foot the bill.)
The kidnap threat in Colombia has improved significantly in the last 10 years, thanks to peace talks between the government and the rebels, the Revolutionary ARMED FORCES of Colombia (FARC), with just 219 incidents reported last year, according to Colombia’s Defense Ministry.
How the kidnaps typically play out: A majority of the kidnapping in tourist areas are “express,” usually lasting less than 48 hours. During these “quicknappings,” armed gangs force their victims to withdraw funds from one or more ATMs, sometimes using other proxies, such as cab DRIVERS, to facilitate the kidnap.
Economics. FARC, which has a history of kidnaping to raise money, last year called a stop to that practice as part of the peace process. It’s not uncommon for criminals to claim kidnapping or other actions in the FARC’s name.
While Colombia is no longer teeming with criminal gangs and narco-traffickers the way it was five years ago, it is still a volatile place. Risks remain for foreigners, MORE so for employees of international oil and mining companies than sightseers and vacation travelers.
Brazil officially recorded 319 kidnaping cases in 2011. But because express kidnaps—the most common type of extortion scheme in Brazil—are not included in official kidnapping stats, our analysis suggests that well over 6,000 kidnapping take place each year.
Last year, an American tourist was kidnapped, raped and robbed after the minibus she was traveling on was hijacked by three men outside of Rio. The woman was traveling with her French boyfriend, who was also abducted, beaten and bound, and forced to watch the ordeal. The three men left with the passengers’ CREDIT CARDS, which were reportedly used in multiple locations over the next few hours.
Kidnappings in Brazil are fueled partly by organized crime, though many of the gangs are largely made up of untrained thugs looking for a quick financial gain. As a result, victims are often selected from Brazil’s lower classes because they can be targeted with little preparation.
Improvements in security in preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and Summer Olympics in 2016 should SLOW abduction rates in Brazil, which is far safer than most of its neighbors when it comes to kidnapping risk.
In 2013, there were about 74 kidnapping-for-ransom incidents in Kenya.
Kidnaps typically play out: A British woman was kidnapped and her husband murdered in 2011 at a coastal resort near the Kenya-Somali border. Six months later, a French national was snatched from a private home in another heavily trafficked tourist hotspot nearby. She died in captivity in Somalia.
What’s fueling the kidnaps: Drastic socio-economic conditions and general lawlessness in Somalia are boosting kidnaping in Kenya, predominately along their shared border. These conditions serve as a breeding ground for extremists, like Al Shabaab, as well as run-of-the-mill criminals.
The bottom line: While Kenya’s wildlife safaris are a powerful draw for travelers, the BEACHES AND RESORTS on the country’s north coast play an increasingly vital role in attracting tourists, but that’s also where the kidnaping risk is greatest. Travelers to other parts of Kenya should take precautions, too, given the recent growth of certain terrorist groups in the region. In September, Al Shabaab stormed a shopping mall in Nairobi. Though unconfirmed, Al Shabaab is thought to be behind some of the more recent kidnapping, too.
Child Recovery International is the leading Investigative & Intelligence Agency in the location and recovery of vanished persons, notably kidnapped, lost, stolen or endangered missing children and at-risk adults. We are criminal profilers, analysts and science behaviorists. experts.
We are actively involved in fight against Human/Sex trafficking. playing an integral role is engaging into the culture of the criminal mind set, dissecting the psychology of each predator, tracking their movements and locating the asset.
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Our analytic abilities allow us to track violent offenders, apprehend them and bring them to justice. To date, we have arrested over 1,000 wanted men and woman including terrorists, kidnappers, members of the drug cartels and human smugglers.
About the author: Scott Bernstein is the CEO of Child Recovery International headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. He has extensive experience as a Counterterrorist Consultant, International Apprehension Operative, Human & Sex Trafficking Expert and a Military and Law Enforcement Trainer. He is available as a Consultant and as a Speaker. In addition to his LinkedIn profile, you can also interact with Scott on his LinkedIn group http://bit.ly/1LMp2hj.
Scott Bernstein is the founder and director of Child Recovery International (www.thelost.net). They implement unconventional techniques such as criminal profiling, victimology, behavioral Psychology, Neuropsychology, pre-text art and expert skip tracing. To reach CRI (Child Recovery International), reach them at 984-235-4816 or in writing at usahunt@aol.com.
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