AMERICAS

1. (MEXICO, 12/11/18) Argentinean woman rescued by Mexican authorities

Mexico City police rescued an abducted woman and arrested one suspected kidnapper in the area of Tacubaya, on 12 November. The police had been alerted by concerned neighbours, who suspected a kidnapped person was being held in a property in the area. The authorities manage to located the site after hearing a woman shouting for help. Upon her release, the victim stated she was an Argentinean national. The woman said she was staying in another flat in the same building, when a man showed up at her door on 7 November, claiming to be a policeman. The man said he was carrying out a security operation and she needed to evacuate the building. As she prepared to leave, the man held her and forced her inside another apartment. Once there, he forced the woman to call her relatives in Argentina to request the payment of a ransom. FULL ARTICLE

2. (COSTA RICA, 14/11/18) Wife of Chinese merchant released after ransom payment

The wife of a Chinese merchant was kidnapped on 30 September, as she arrived to her home in San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San José. According to police reports, the victim’s husband received several ransom calls on the same day of the kidnapping. He was allegedly demanded to pay USD 200,000, which he eventually paid in full. The victim was released on 4 October in a locality of Escazú province. So far, the authorities have arrested 12 people suspected of participating in the abduction. FULL ARTICLE

ASIA

3. (INDIA, 12/11/18) Militants demand large ransom for kidnapped tea plantation employee

The supervisor of Sati Tea Estate, located in Namsai district, Arunachal Pradesh, was abducted by armed militants from his living quarters in the estate on 10 November. The kidnappers, who were said to be carrying sophisticated weapons, allegedly introduced themselves as members of the Udoy Asom faction of militant group ULFA-Independent. Reportedly, the abductors have demanded a ransom of Rs 3 crore (USD 416,000) from the company to release the man. The tea plantation belongs to a former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). FULL ARTICLE

4. (MALAYSIA, 13/11/18) Malaysian media giant demanded BTC 1,000 by hackers

Malaysian media conglomerate Media Prima Berhad was the victim of a cyber-attack in which its computer systems were locked by hackers on 8 November. According to media reports, the criminals demanded a ransom of 1,000 bitcoins (over USD 5.3 million), which the company reportedly refused to pay. It is currently unknown what is the extent of the attack and damages, and whether Media Prima’s data has been breached. FULL ARTICLE (1)

5. (MYANMAR, 14/11/18) Yangon police rescue kidnap victim

Police rescued a kidnap victim and arrested five suspects in different areas of Yangon, just hours after a man was kidnapped. The incident took place on 12 November, when a group of 10 armed men raided the offices of the victim’s family business and took the man away after looting the property. The victim’s brother, who witnessed the events, reported the incident to the police. After questioning, the arrested suspects confessed they had been hired by a currency dealer to extract a sum of money the businessman owed. They were reportedly paid 500,000 kyats (USD 314) each for the job. FULL ARTICLE (1)

6. (AFGHANISTAN, 15/11/18) Body of kidnapped Pakistani policeman found in Afghanistan

The body of a Pakistani police officer who went missing in Islamabad last month was found in neighbouring Afghanistan. Tahir Khan Dawar disappeared from Islamabad on 27 October, presumed abducted by militants. Photographs showing Dawar’s badly beaten and tortured body surfaced on social media on 13 November. The body was found on the same day by locals in Afghanistan’s Dur Baba district of Nangarhar province, near the border with Pakistan. A hand-written note was found with the body, saying he had been abducted and killed by a “little-known militant group”, Pakistani officials said. Dawar’s body has already been handed over to Pakistani authorities by Afghan officials at the Torkham border crossing. FULL ARTICLE (1)