AMERICAS

1. (VENEZUELA, 04/12/18) Kidnapping 30% down in Venezuela

According to Venezuelan criminologist Fermín Marmol García, there was a reduction of 30% in the number of kidnappings recorded in Venezuela in the first eight months of 2018. However, he warned on a spike in incidence in certain areas, including Caracas, in recent weeks. He explained that the current structure of typical kidnapping gangs in the country is three to five individuals, who are typically armed and very violent. Marmol did not elaborate on the sourcing of the mentioned figures. FULL ARTICLE

2. (BOLIVIA, 04/12/18) Bolivian police rescue kidnapped Brazilian couple

Bolivian police informed that two Brazilian nationals, mother and son, were rescued in the rural area of La Tuna in Santa Cruz, near the border with Brazil. The two had been kidnapped in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and remained in captivity for 90 days. No arrests were made during the operation. Reportedly, the victims had been abandoned by the kidnappers after a raid that had taken place in the area the previous day in the search of the hostages, in which the police warned locals on the consequences if the victims were not released. According to the Bolivian authorities, the kidnappers were Bolivian criminals, who demanded a large ransom for the hostages. No ransom was reportedly paid prior to the hostages’ release. FULL ARTICLE

3. (BRAZIL, 04/12/18) Police frustrates ‘Tiger’ kidnapping in Rio Grande do Sul

The son of a manager of a Banrisul bank branch in the city of São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, was abducted by kidnappers in the district of Scharlau, at around 9:30 am on 4 December. An eyewitness reported the incident to the police, who after identifying the victim, deployed to the bank branch. When the officers got there, the manager was reluctant to testify on the incident. After some time, the man agreed to cooperate, and said he had been threatened by the criminals, who wanted him to give them access to the bank’s safe in exchange for the release of his son. The 22-year-old victim was released after being held hostage for more than three hours. He was left on a street of in the Vicentina district with his hands tied, but he was not injured. The criminals did not go to the bank. Investigations are ongoing. FULL ARTICLE

AFRICA

4. (BENIN, 03/12/18) Abducted Nigerian siblings found in Benin

Two Nigerian siblings, Nadia Mutana (6) and her brother Khalifa (3), were found on 2 December by authorities in Benin, close to the border with Seme, Nigeria. The kids had been kidnapped by their housemaid on 26 November, after she picked them up from school in Lagos. According to police, the maid, who had only been employed by the family for eight days, was member of a kidnapping gang. Reportedly, this was not the first time they had applied this tactic to kidnap children. It was not reported if any ransom had been paid prior to the rescue of the kids. Nigerian police stressed the need to run background checks on all staff, particularly on people working in their homes. FULL ARTICLE (1)

5. (NIGERIA, 04/12/18) Oil worker kidnapped in Delta

An employee of Agip Oil Company was kidnapped on 3 December in Okpai in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State. The abduction took place as he was on his way to work, over the busy Ughelli-Asaba Expressway, where he was ambushed by an armed gang. The men, who were reportedly waiting for him to pass in his car, forced him into their vehicle and took him to an unknown destination. It is reported the incident has generated panic among employees of multinational oil companies in the locality. FULL ARTICLE

ASIA

6. (PHILIPPINES, 04/12/18) Five Chinese arrested for kidnapping in Manila

Five Chinese nationals, suspected of being members of a kidnap for ransom syndicate targeting fellow Chinese, were arrested by Philippine authorities on 28 November during a raid at their hideout in Las Piñas City, metro Manila. During the raid, the police rescued a Chinese victim who was being held by the suspects for ransom. The gang had been on the police’s radar since last year, when a number of Chinese nationals had been kidnapped by the group. According to Philippine authorities’ records, the suspects had recently entered the country as tourists. FULL ARTICLE (1)