Global Kidnap for Ransom Update June 2013

Transcription

1 Global Kidnap for Ransom Update June 2013 New kidnap for ransom statistics for January June 2013 released 5 in 100 hostages killed in Mexico in 2012 According to figures from the Mexican Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, five in 100 hostages were killed in 2012, compared to four in 100 in 2011 Click here for Kidnap for Ransom News The nature of kidnapping in Yemen has changed Whilst kidnapping is not a new phenomenon in Yemen, the nature of the risk has changed over the last three to five years some tribes have begun selling hostages onto AQAP Click here for Spotlight On Yemen Nigeria ranked highest followed by Mexico Nigeria was by far the highest placed with 26% of incidents, Mexico ranked second with 10%, and Yemen ranked third with 7%. Whilst Nigeria and Mexico are expected to be within the top three Click here for Kidnap for Ransom Analysis NYA Crisis Management Training Workshop 2013 dates for the one-day Crisis Management Training Workshop Click here for more details About NYA NYA International is a specialist crisis prevention and response consultancy with 23 years experience of helping organisations mitigate their exposure and respond to incidents Click here for more information

2 Kidnap for Ransom Overview 1. Two Spanish tourists kidnapped and rescued near Colombian / Venezuelan border, page Over 90% of kidnappings in Caracas committed by corrupt police according to President Maduro, page AQIM claim eight European hostages alive, threaten with execution, page US aid worker kidnapped near the Kenyan / Somali border, page Spotlight On Yemen, page British couple kidnapped in Chennai and subsequently rescued, page 6. Top 5 Kidnap Countries January - June Nigeria 2. Mexico 3. Pakistan 4. Yemen 5. Syria The above are based on kidnap for ransom incidents recorded in open source news reports and captured during the first half of 2013 (see page 11). This report is based on open source information and aims to highlight current news, trends and analysis of kidnap for ransom incidents globally over the reporting period. The report is published every two months.

3 Kidnap for Ransom News Africa There are many medium to high-risk areas for kidnap and ransom in Africa, with hotspots in the north (Egypt, Libya), Sahel Region (Mali, Sudan, Algeria and Niger) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Somalia and Kenya). Criminal, tribal and Islamic militant groups actively target local and foreign nationals for both financial and political gain, although most cases are ultimately driven by financial motives. According to an estimate by the US Treasury, Islamist militants are increasingly funding their operations using kidnapping for ransom, particularly Al Qaida s North Africa wing Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In Egypt, on-going insecurity in the Sinai peninsular continues to facilitate the kidnapping of foreign nationals and (for the first time) members of the security forces. In May 2013, Islamic militants kidnapped three policemen and four soldiers, resulting in a small-scale crisis and prompting direct intervention by President Morsi. Seen as a direct challenge to his authority, the President sent significant military reinforcements in an effort to restore security and apply pressure on the kidnappers whilst also engaging in talks with Bedouin tribal leaders to help secure the hostages release. All seven hostages were released six days later and reports indicate that the kidnapper s demands (the release of convicted Islamists) were not met. The security situation in the Sinai remains poor and it is likely that further kidnappings will occur. The Sahel Region remains a high-risk region, with an elevated risk of kidnap for ransom to foreign nationals by insurgents and Islamic militants associated with AQIM. This threat has increased following the military intervention in Northern Mali and the resultant diffusion of militants into the northern-most mountain region and neighbouring countries such as Mauritania, Niger and Algeria. In June 2013, AQIM made a public statement, claiming that the eight European hostages they currently hold (including five French nationals) are alive and well but threatened they would be killed if France launches any new military interventions in North Africa. The group also reaffirmed its willingness to negotiate for their release. However, France s president Hollande has publically refused to negotiate with the group and has reiterated his January 2013 announcement that France would no longer pay ransoms. Used as a pressure tactic against the hostages home governments, the statement coincided with rallies in France organised by families of the hostages to mark more than 1,000 days in captivity. Kidnapping continues to be a very high risk across the whole of Nigeria, both in the south where criminals and militants target wealthy locals and foreign nationals and in the north, where Islamic insurgent groups Boko Haram and Ansaru have specifically targeted foreign nationals for ransom. The former has also resorted to kidnapping Nigerian women and children in retaliation for the arrest of group members relatives by the Nigerian authorities. In May 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three northern states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) in order to wrestle control away from insurgents and re-establish security (and his political authority). Military operations are still on-going in the north and it unclear at this time how affective they have been in restoring security. In the south, criminal gangs increasingly target high-profile locals for kidnap as a lucrative source of revenue. In May 2013, the wife, daughter and driver of a Supreme Court Justice were kidnapped in Edo and released eighteen days later after reportedly receiving a ransom of approximately USD $19,000.

4 Kidnap for Ransom News Foreign nationals continue to be lucrative hostages, particularly those operating in and around the countries waters. Since the start of 2013, over 30 foreign crewmembers have been removed from their vessels and held on land for ransom nine of whom are still being held. In one May 2013 case, five Pakistani crewmembers were abducted from an oil products tanker off the coast of Bayelsa State and held for eleven days it is unknown if a ransom was paid for their release. In June 2013, officers from the Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) reportedly killed seven members of a kidnapping gang and arrested two others during a raid on a hideout in Agbara, Ogun State. In July 2013 officers from the SARS conducted a second raid on a kidnap den in the Ajah area of Lagos, during which three gang members were arrested and two others killed. One of those arrested described how they disguised another gang member as a beggar, in order to facilitate the abduction of two local nationals. The victims had parked their modern car at the side of the road when the beggar approached them for money. Whilst distracted, other members of the gang forced the victims into the back of the car and drove them directly to the den. These two raids are likely part of the authorities response to the growing number of expatriate kidnappings over the last four to six months in Nigeria s south west and an attempt to ease fears for businesses operating in the area. However, it is unclear at this time what effect the disruption of the two kidnap gangs will have on the risk in Lagos and the surrounding area. Further to the west of Africa, gunmen reportedly kidnapped 12 mine clearance workers in southern Senegal. The group working for a South African mine clearance company are believed to have been abducted by members of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) whilst travelling to inspect a minefield in the Casamance region. Whilst three of the hostages were reportedly released after 25 days, the remaining nine are still being held. In the central Democratic Republic of Congo, M23 rebels had kidnapped almost 30 people between the beginning of April 2013 and May 2013 some of which have been for ransom. The rebel group has controlled the eastern town of Rutshuru in North Kivu since July 2012 and reportedly collects taxes from the population in addition to ransoms for its victims. In one case, an advisor to Catholic schools in the area was abducted and released after the payment of a USD $5,000 ransom. In Kenya, the northern territories bordering Somalia continue to be vulnerable to cross-border kidnapping operations, particularly for aid workers travelling in the area. In May 2013, an American aid worker was kidnapped as she travelled from Garissa to Habaswein. According to police reports, the victim s car broke down before she was abducted. Demands for her release have been made although her official whereabouts are unknown. In June 2013, Al Shabaab militants publically displayed two Kenyan nationals kidnapped during a cross-border raid on a police post in Kenyan territory in May The two were paraded in front of a crowd of people in the militant-controlled area of Jilib in Lower Juba. Despite being forced from many of its strongholds by African Union (AU) forces, Al Shabaab still controls significant swathes of territory in southern Somalia and has successfully utilised guerrilla-style tactics in areas it once controlled most recently in Kismayo and against a United Nations (UN) compound in the capital Mogadishu.

5 Kidnap for Ransom News Americas Latin America continues to be a high-risk region for all types of kidnappings, particularly in Mexico and Venezuela. Whilst the risk of kidnapping in Colombia has reduced significantly in the last ten years, left-wing guerrillas and criminal groups continue to abduct local and foreign nationals for ransom particularly along the borders with Venezuela and Ecuador. In May 2013, two Spanish tourists were kidnapped whilst driving in La Guarjira near the Venezuelan border - members of the security forces subsequently rescued the two after 29 days in captivity. Whilst it is unclear which group carried out the abduction (the FARC publically denied its involvement despite the kidnappers claiming to be from the group), a large sum in Euros was reportedly demanded. Meanwhile, the Colombian government has refused to enter into peace talks with the second largest guerrilla group the National Liberation Army or ELN until it frees all hostages in it s possession, including a Canadian national kidnapped from a mining company in Bolivar back in January The group has expressed a desire to enter peace talks in parallel with similar FARC government talks, likely through fears of being excluded from any concessions that such discussions could produce. Despite the seeming progress being made currently, previous peace talks in the country have failed and resulted in a resumption of attacks and kidnappings by both groups. In neighbouring Venezuela, reports by the national newspaper El Nacional claim that an increasing number of Venezuelan and Colombian kidnappers are working together in the border regions in the west and are spreading into central Venezuela and the Capital District. This claim was based on the dismantling and sentencing of several bi-national kidnapping gangs in quick succession and are part of a trend according to police sources. If accurate, this trend will only be bolstered by the chronic insecurity across Venezuela, which remains in a state of political crisis. In June 2013, President Maduro claimed that more than 90% of kidnappings in Caracas are carried out by corrupt police officers particularly those in Miranda state (the governor of which is his opponent Henrique Capriles) whilst others are carried out by kidnapping gangs from Colombia. However, this would contradict the above claim and is likely to be more of a political attack than objective commentary. In Mexico, a high-profile mass-kidnapping case has raised concerns that levels of security in the relatively safe Mexico City may have fallen and further kidnappings could occur. The incident in question took place in May 2013 when twelve people disappeared from a bar close to Reforma Avenue. It is believed that some of the victims are linked to the drugs trade and two are known to be sons of suspected local crime bosses currently in prison. This (unconfirmed) link to the drugs trade could explain the scale of the abduction and might not necessarily translate to an increase in risk towards non-narcos. According to a report by the Mexico City-based think tank México Evalúa, kidnappings across Mexico have averaged 130 per month thus far in 2013, up from 109 per month in 2012 and less than 40 per month in According to figures from the Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, five in 100 hostages were killed in During 2012 there were 2,756 recorded kidnapping cases, 144 of which ended in the victim being killed. This is compared to 2011 when 120 cases out of 2,979 resulted in the victims death. According to the National Public Security System, there have been 555 kidnappings in Mexico between January and April 2013, an increase of 33% compared with the 417 recorded during the same period of 2012.

6 Kidnap for Ransom News Asia Asia as a whole continues to be a medium to high-risk region for kidnap and ransom, with hotspots in South West Asia (particularly India, Pakistan and Afghanistan) and South East Asia, most notably the Philippines. A broad range of groups including insurgents, Islamic militants and criminals have been responsible for kidnappings, with a relatively high proportion of incidents involving foreign nationals, particularly tourists and aid workers. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are still actively kidnapping both local and foreign nationals (particularly NGO workers) and may conduct further abductions, after declaring the start of their Spring Offensive in April 2013 and in anticipation of the 2014 withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. In May 2013, eleven construction workers (nine of whom were foreign nationals) were kidnapped by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan after their helicopter was forced to land in bad weather. Four Turkish nationals were released after 20 days whilst the other four were released after 22 days in captivity it is unknown if a ransom was paid for their release. The remaining three (a Russian and Kyrgyz pilot and an Afghan translator) are still being held. Although the overwhelming majority of kidnappings in India involve the abduction of local nationals, particularly children, foreign nationals have been kidnapped for ransom and continue to be targeted. Separatist groups in the more remote areas of the country have also been linked to a number of extortion and kidnapping cases, the victims of which include foreign nationals. In June 2013, a British couple were kidnapped after arriving at Chennai airport by a gang posing as tour operators. The couple were subsequently moved to a village 100 miles from the kidnap location and held for five days before being rescued by security forces. A ransom demand of 300k (around USD $460k) was made to the couple s daughter. Subsequent police investigations have revealed that the abduction was co-ordinated between gang members operating in London and Chennai. In Indonesia, a British engineer working for an oil company in Aceh, northern Sumatra (not normally known for kidnappings), was kidnapped and held for two days before being released. It is unknown if a ransom was paid for his release although a demand for USD $500k had been made. In the Philippines, two Filipino-Algerian women were kidnapped in June 2013 by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants. The abduction took place in the high-risk Sulu Province as the two were travelling in a vehicle when their vehicle was surrounded by around 10 heavily-armed militants. Abu Sayyaf are known to abduct foreign nationals for long periods of time (example Australian national Warren Rodwell, held for 15 months) and demand large sums in ransom to finance its insurgency.!

7 Kidnap for Ransom News Middle East The Middle East continues to be a high-risk region for kidnap and ransom, with most kidnappings carried out by criminal or tribal groups for both financial gain and political concessions. In Syria, the civil war continues to fuel sectarian, tit-for-tat kidnappings between rebels (or those sympathetic to the rebels) and regime supporters. Criminal bands claiming to be from the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) are also using the security vacuum to carry out financially motivated kidnappings and journalists continue to go missing. In May 2013, rebels abducted four UN peacekeepers monitoring the ceasefire in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Reminiscent of a similar such incident in March 2013, the four Filipino nationals were abducted by the same rebel group (the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade) and released five days later. Shortly after this incident, three further U.N. observers from the same area were abducted and held for around five hours. Whilst the group justified its actions as a safety measure for the peacekeepers, it underlines the fractured and de-centralised nature of rebel forces and the on-going risks in the region. In May 2013, Syrian activists reported a wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in Aleppo, which risked causing further internal fighting between rebel factions. As the scale of the conflict in Syria has grown, so the conflict has spilt into neighbouring Lebanon, where Syrians have been abducted in retaliation to abductions involving Lebanese hostages in Syria. In May 2013, the Lebanese General Security head Major General Abbas Ibrahim travelled to Syria to assist in the release of Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Aleppo in Given the increasingly active role of Lebanon s Hezbollah in the civil war, it is likely that these cross-border sectarian kidnappings will continue for the foreseeable future. Aside from the sectarian-motivated kidnappings linked to the civil war, Lebanon also suffers from criminally-motivated kidnappings in the capital Beirut and other major cities. In June 2013, reports emerged of the abduction of a Saudi national and state employee outside the Saudi Embassy in Beirut. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded USD $100k for his release and have cut off two of his fingers, although it is unclear if these demands have been levelled at the embassy or another family member. In Yemen, there has been a considerable level of kidnapping activity over the last two months, with some 14 foreign nationals kidnapped. Most of these abductions have been carried out by tribesmen who utilise kidnapping in order to secure the release of imprisoned tribesmen and other political concessions from the government. However, some groups are known to have links with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) and have previously sold hostages on to the latter (for more information, see our Spotlight On article, page six). In May 2013, Islamic militants released two Finnish and an Austrian student after having been held for 139 days. Yemeni security officials claimed Al Qaeda-linked tribesmen were holding the three, which was subsequently corroborated by the release of a video on the Internet, in which the victims were threatened and their host nations told to comply with their demands. It is unknown if a ransom was paid, although highly likely. Also in May 2013, two South African tourists were kidnapped in the city of Taiz by suspected tribesmen and have yet to be released.

8 Spotlight On Yemen The current security situation in Yemen is poor and the country is considered a very high-risk operating environment. Beset by a combination of political instability, a divided security force, Al- Houthi militants in the north, secessionist militants (Hirak) in the south and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) fighters in the south and east, the fledgling government has struggled to contain the myriad of threats within its borders. Despite receiving significant military assistance from Saudi Arabia and the U.S. in terms of funding, intelligence, training and drone strikes (which have helped to deny AQAP former strongholds in the south), the group is still able to launch deadly attacks against security forces, infrastructure targets and hold local and foreign nationals for ransom. Amongst these militant groups, armed tribes have been able to exploit the political and security vacuum across the country and have increasingly resorted to kidnapping foreign nationals. What is more, the June 2013 deployment of 1,500 U.S. soldiers to a strategic airbase in the southern province of Lahaj and a further 200 troops to bolster security at the U.S. embassy in the capital Sana a, further underlines the country s poor security outlook. The nature of the kidnapping risk has changed over the last three to five years Whilst kidnapping is not a new phenomenon in Yemen, the nature of the risk has changed over the last three to five years. Traditionally, kidnapping has been used as a negotiating tool by tribes to gain political and or social benefits, such as the release of imprisoned tribesmen or improved public services. Negotiations between tribal elders and the government would then ensue and the hostage(s) released unharmed after several days. Kidnappings are also commonly used in dispute resolutions between tribes. Whilst this practice continues today, some tribes have begun selling hostages onto AQAP who in turn demand large sums for their release. Although there have been reports in the media of AQAP militants actively conducting kidnappings, it is questionable whether these militant groups have the operational freedom to abduct victims from outside their own strongholds. This adds weight to reports that some tribesmen have begun to sell hostages on to AQAP, rather than negotiate with the government, as was the norm. These transactions have reportedly been worth in the region of USD $50,000 (in the case of one Swiss national kidnapped in 2012) and immediately increase the risk to that hostage. Hostages held by Islamic militants are often subject to extended periods of captivity (over 100 days in some cases) and have commanded millions of dollars in ransom payments, which are used to fund future militant operations. Islamic militants in general are also known for publically executing hostages if their demands are not met or negotiations stall. Whilst AQAP in Yemen have threatened to execute their hostages (as demonstrated in a May 2013 YouTube video involving an Austrian national held for five months), there have yet to be any reported executions. A significant number of high-profile kidnappings involve foreign nationals Most kidnapping victims in the country are local nationals, although a significant number of high-profile kidnappings involve foreign nationals particularly aid workers / NGO staff, construction and energy

9 Spotlight On Yemen company workers, students and journalists - who are specifically targeted for the leverage (or ransom figure) their status can provide. Also, the remote working locations of some foreign nationals increases their vulnerability to kidnapping. Although the relatively small number of foreign nationals travelling to Yemen reduces the possible pool of potential victims, tourists and students who still insist on travelling to the dangerous country provide valuable targets of opportunity for tribesmen, criminals and (potentially) Islamic militants. Discernible spike in kidnapping activity over the last 18 months Whilst accurate kidnapping statistics for Yemen are difficult to gather, given the lack of official reporting on crime statistics and under-reporting by victims of the crime, there has been a discernible spike in kidnapping activity over the last 18 months. Based on open source reporting, at least 16 foreign nationals were kidnapped in 2012, jumping to 15 so far in 2013 alone. The majority of these 31 victims (16 or 51%) were NGO workers, followed by students and tourists (6 or 19%) and construction / energy and extraction industry workers (4 or 12%). In terms of ransom demands, these can vary greatly from the release of prisoners or financial compensation for killed tribesmen to tens of millions of dollars. Hostages held for a financial ransom have been released after the payment of multi-million dollar sums, although these cases are rarely confirmed.!! High-risk areas Whilst the security situation is considered poor across the country, there are certain areas that are deemed especially high risk. In the north, Al-Houthi rebels are predominantly based in Sadaa and have expanded in to Amran and Hajja since the ouster of former President Saleh in Across the south, Hirak secessionists are highly active (consisting of both peaceful and more violent elements) and AQAP are predominantly based in the eastern province of Hadramawt and to a lesser extent Radaa, although also conduct operations in Abyan province and the capital Sana a. Of the kidnapping incidents recorded by NYA in , the majority of these occurred in Sana a, Abyan and Al Hudaydah provinces and Aden (Adan province).! High profile kidnap cases June Two French nationals were kidnapped by tribesmen in Amran (western central Yemen) and released a day later. Both victims, working for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), were abducted at gunpoint whilst driving. According to the Yemeni Interior Ministry, a security operation was launched and both victims were released unharmed. June Two Dutch nationals were kidnapped by suspected tribesmen from the capital Sana a and are still being held. The victims are believed to have been teachers at a private university. Media reports claim that the couple has since been sold on to AQAP although this is unconfirmed. May A South African couple was kidnapped in the city of Taiz (southern Yemen) by a local chief as part of a land dispute with local authorities. It is believed that the couple are being used as a bargaining tool, however some media reports claim the two have been sold on to AQAP this is unconfirmed.

10 Spotlight On Yemen May A Swiss national working for the Red Cross in Abyan province was kidnapped by armed tribesmen and held for two days before being released it is unknown if a ransom was paid. The victim was travelling in a vehicle with Yemeni co-workers when the abduction took place. February A Dutch national was kidnapped by tribesmen somewhere between Hajja and Al- Zaidiya provinces (western Yemen) and was rescued four days later by police. December A Finnish couple and an Austrian national were kidnapped by armed tribesmen in the capital Sana a and held for 139 days before being released. The three victims (all Arabic language students) were abducted outside an electronic goods store in a seemingly opportunistic attack. The three are thought to have been subsequently sold on to AQAP, who in turn demanded a ransom and released a video threatening to kill the hostages if there demands were not met. It is likely (although unconfirmed) that a ransom was paid for their release. Outlook Given the on going state of lawlessness due in part to the government s inability to project its authority beyond the capital and establish an effective justice system, it is likely that tribes will continue to use kidnapping as a method of dispute resolution in the absence of any viable alternative. Further, unless the government is able to enhance its ability (or willingness) to negotiate with these tribes or improve public services, the latter may continue to sell their victims on to AQAP thus increasing the personal risk to the victim and decreasing their prospects of a safe and timely release. Equally, if the government s security forces are unable to overcome their current divisions and fill the security vacuum, Islamists, anti-government militants and secessionists will continue to carry out armed attacks and may have greater freedom to carry out kidnappings directly. Based on the U.S. s decision to move more troops into southern Yemen, the short-term security outlook for the country looks bleak and any foreign nationals travelling or working in Yemen should review their security arrangements.

11 Kidnap for Ransom Analysis In order to enhance the accuracy of our statistical analysis, all graphs will now be published in this newsletter on a bi-annual basis. Data for the entirety of 2013 will be published in the December edition. Note: The information contained in this report is based on open source material including news articles and should be regarded as offering a snapshot of global kidnap incidents. Given the selectivity and incomplete / inaccurate nature of some news articles, the information contained in this report is by no means exhaustive or 100% accurate. As such, any conclusions made from this report should take these limitations into account. Based on the kidnap for ransom incidents captured for the first half of 2013, the majority occurred in Africa (36%), with the Americas second (27%) and Asia with 19%. The Middle East had a slightly smaller share with 17% of incidents, whilst Europe had the smallest share with 1%. Given that less than an estimated 20% - 30% of actual kidnapping are reported in some Latin American countries (particularly Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia), the real figure for the Americas would be higher in reality as much as 50% or even 60%. Compared with incidents recorded in the first half of 2012, there has been a complete reversal in the top three regions, with Asia formerly first (32%), Americas second (31%) and Africa third (27%) in 2012.

12 Kidnap for Ransom Analysis Note: The information contained in this report is based on open source material including news articles and should be regarded as offering a snapshot of global kidnap incidents. Given the selectivity and incomplete / inaccurate nature of some news articles, the information contained in this report is by no means exhaustive or 100% accurate. As such, any conclusions made from this report should take these limitations into account. The above chart shows the top countries for kidnap and ransom incidents based on those captured during the first half of Nigeria was by far the highest placed with 26% of incidents, Mexico ranked second with 10%, and Yemen ranked third with 7%. Whilst Nigeria and Mexico are expected to be within the top three, Yemen placed particularly highly this period, due to the spike in recorded cases of foreign nationals kidnapped by tribesmen. Surprisingly Venezuela did not feature although this is likely due to a lack of reporting, rather than a lack of actual incidents. Colombia had a share of 3% (equal to the same period in 2012), reflecting the overall decrease in cases there (although still significant). India had a smaller share this period (again, likely due to underreporting) whilst Syria now features among the top countries due to the on-going civil war and the heightened publicity around kidnapping incidents. Together, the top four countries accounted for 60% of all incidents recorded in this period (comparable to the 64% in the same period of 2012), indicating that most cases (of those recorded) are concentrated in a small number of higher risk countries for this type of crime.

13 Kidnap for Ransom Analysis Note: The information contained in this report is based on open source material including news articles and should be regarded as offering a snapshot of global kidnap incidents. Given the selectivity and incomplete / inaccurate nature of some news articles, the information contained in this report is by no means exhaustive or 100% accurate. As such, any conclusions made from this report should take these limitations into account. The above chart gives a rough breakdown of kidnap incidents and the nationality of the victims involved, during the first six months of The above supports the norm that more people are abducted in their home country than abroad (when thus classed as foreign nationals). It must also be remembered that the abduction of foreign citizens attracts more media attention than that of local nationals and in reality the latter is likely to represent a far larger share than shown above. Whilst the above shows an overall figure, there is considerable variation of victim nationality between countries. Whilst the vast majority of victims in Mexico are local nationals, far more foreign nationals (as a proportion) are abducted in Yemen for example.

14 Kidnap for Ransom Analysis Note: The information contained in this report is based on open source material including news articles and should be regarded as offering a snapshot of global kidnap incidents. Given the selectivity and incomplete / inaccurate nature of some news articles, the information contained in this report is by no means exhaustive or 100% accurate. As such, any conclusions made from this report should take these limitations into account. During the first half of 2013, the majority of kidnap victims (from those cases captured) were designated as Non-Professional with 16% (this includes young children and family members / dependents of wealthy individuals). Government / Security Forces were second with 14% and NGO / Healthcare / Education workers had a share of 10%. Maritime also had a share of 10% and this represents workers from various industries abducted from vessels in West Africa of which there has been a spike off the coast of Nigeria. Energy & Extraction industry workers (non-maritime) scored more highly than in 2012 with 8%, whilst tourists scored 7% (down from 9% in 2012).

15 Kidnap for Ransom Analysis Note: The information contained in this report is based on open source material including news articles and should be regarded as offering a snapshot of global kidnap incidents. Given the selectivity and incomplete / inaccurate nature of some news articles, the information contained in this report is by no means exhaustive or 100% accurate. As such, any conclusions made from this report should take these limitations into account. The above chart shows that most kidnap for ransom victims recorded during the first half 2013 were released unharmed or alive (94% as opposed to the 6% who were killed or died during captivity due to a range of causes). The single largest group of victims recorded were released (unknown if a ransom had been paid) with 46% followed by victims who were released after the payment of a ransom with 19%. When added together, the 65% of victims released for a (likely) ransom payment is very close to the common estimate of around 70%. Only 9% of victims were released without payment, although some of these may also have actually ended with a payment in reality. In some instances however, abductors have abandoned their hostages following pressure from the police / security forces or government. The smallest proportion of victims (2%) escaped their captors, which seems accurate given the difficulty and risk associated with escaping a hostage situation unaided.

16 NYA Crisis Management Training Workshop One-day Crisis Management Training Workshop NYA s one-day Crisis Management Training Workshop provides intensive training on pre-incident planning and crisis response. The agenda includes: An interactive simulated incident exercise A crisis management plan development session Specialist legal advice Essential personal security awareness guidelines Presentation by a former kidnap victim For further information contact info@nyainternational.com or download the agenda summary. Proprietary Information This report is based on the information made available at the time of writing and the conditions then in existence. The submission of this document, which is issued without prejudice to liability, constitutes neither a warranty of results nor a surety against risks. About NYA NYA International is a specialist crisis prevention and response consultancy with 23 years experience of helping organisations mitigate their exposure and respond to incidents of kidnap for ransom, extortion, marine piracy, illegal detention, emergency political evacuation and related global security incidents. We respond to around 80 global incidents each year and have one of the largest and most experienced crisis response teams in the industry. Contact us For further information please contact the NYA team: NYA International Ltd. 26 Market Place London W1W 8AN United Kingdom t: +44 (0) e: info@nyainternational.com w: