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MALAYSIA 13 February 2012

Authorities arrested a suspected kidnapper on 11 Februray in Teluk Intan, Perak. The suspect was detained in connection with the kidnapping of a 14-year-old that occurred on 6 February in Semenyih, after which the suspect reportedly demanded a ransom of 50,000 ringgit (US$17,000) for his release. Authorities did not indicate whether the victim’s family paid the ransom.

MOZAMBIQUE 11 February 2012

Mozambican authorities reported the recent kidnap of businesswoman of Asian origin in Maputo. The abduction took place on 8 February at the crossroads between Amilcar Cabral and Mao Tse-tung Avenues in the city center. Reports indicate that the kidnapping took place when the victim and her husband had stopped at a traffic light. After another vehicle rear ended the victims, four men in the second vehicle jumped out and grabbed the woman. The kidnapping is the latest to target the Asian business community in Maputo. On 30 January two Asian businessmen were kidnapped at Maputo’s Lhanguene Cemetery. The victims have since been released. It is unknown if a ransom was paid.

PIRACY - NIGERIA 13 February 2012

A group of pirates attacked a cargo ship approximately 125 mi/200 km south of Lagos on 13 February. Reports indicate that the ship’s captain attempted to evade the attack, but he and the ship’s engineer were both shot and killed during a gun battle. The attack was one of three to take place in the area since 9 February. On 9 February pirates attacked a tanker; another attack took place on 11 February, but the ship escaped. In response to the recent incidents, the International Maritime Bureau is advising ships to avoid the area.

PHILIPPINES 1 February 2012

Gunmen abducted two tourists, one Swiss and one Dutch, and their guide on 1 February as they traveled on a sightseeing trip through a rural region in the southern Philippines. Authorities stated that five heavily armed assailants ambushed a boat carrying a tour group on a bird-watching excursion in the far southern and sparsely populated island of Tawi-Tawi; the incident allegedly occurred off the town of Panglima Sugala. The gunmen reportedly transferred the three hostages into another boat and ordered the boat captain, a local government official and a police officer to jump off the vessel. The kidnappers then fled toward Jolo Island in the two boats, and the Philippine citizens were later rescued from the waters off Tawi-Tawi. Once the kidnappers and hostages were several hundred meters from Jolo Island, the Filipino tour guide jumped off the boat and swam over to a group of fishermen who helped him out of the water and took him to a nearby police station. Authorities indicated that no group immediately claimed responsibility for the kidnapping or demanded a ransom, but did deploy troops to rescue the hostages. Militant rebel groups in the restive far southern provinces of the Philippines are responsible for several kidnappings of foreigners each year, as foreigners -- though harder to locate and target -- generally bring higher ransoms than local citizens.

EGYPT 3 February 2012

A group of masked men armed with machineguns kidnapped two American tourists and their Egyptian guide in the Sinai Peninsula. The three victims were traveling from Saint Catherine’s monastery in central Sinai to the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh with three other companions when their vehicle was held up by the gunmen. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, nor were any ransom demands immediately received.

SUDAN 3 February 2012

Five Turkish engineers who were kidnapped in September 2011 were released on 3 February. The hostages were originally abducted along with six Sudanese citizens while working in the Um-Marahik area on 8 September. Reports indicated that efforts by the Sudanese and Turkish governments, along with help from the International Committee of the Red Cross resulted in their release, and that while in captivity the hostages were forced to dig water wells in the Wadi Hawir area. The six Sudanese hostages were not freed.

PHILIPPINES 24 January 2012

Military commanders in the Philippines reported on 23 that communist separatist groups have expanded their operations into extortion attempts to raise funds for their militant insurgency against the government. Authorities in Manila believe that Maoist rebels from the New People’s Army (NPA) have extorted US$6.9 million from local businesses in the group’s area of operation on far southern Mindanao Island. The insurgents have also damaged property worth approximately US$27.7 million as part of their extortion attempts. NPA rebels have mainly targeted lucrative mining operations in Mindanao that are often located close to rural areas where there are numerous militant camps. The extortion has reportedly affected some foreign investment as many companies are wary of the unstable security situation. In October 2011 NPA militants took workers hostage and attacked three mining facilities in Mindanao that destroyed large industrial equipment. While kidnapping for ransom has been the primary source of funds for groups such as the NPA in recent years, authorities believe insurgents are looking to expand extortion activities in 2012.

COLOMBIA 25 January 2012

A report released by Colombia’s ministry of defense indicated that 298 kidnappings occurred in the country in 2011. Of those 298 kidnappings, 243 of the victims were released, 15 died in captivity and 40 are still being held hostage. The figure represents an increase of 16 kidnappings, or 5.6 percent, compared to 2010, and also includes 10 foreign citizens, whereas only three foreigners were kidnapped in Colombia in 2010. The FARC and ELN rebel groups were blamed for 36 percent of the abductions, while 60 percent were attributed to criminal groups and 4 percent to neo-paramilitary groups. Also, the trend of more kidnappings occurring in rural areas changed in 2011, with 66 percent of abductions reportedly occurring in urban areas; 24 were reported in Cali, 12 in Medellin and eight in Bogota.

VENEZUELA 31 January 2012

Mexico’s ambassador to Venezuela and his wife were abducted in Caracas late on 29 January. The couple was released four hours later, early on 30 January. Presumably, the victims paid the kidnappers money in exchange for their release, although authorities did not elaborate on the specifics of the incident. Neither the ambassador nor his wife suffered any injuries.

ETHIOPIA 18 January 2012

Five people, including two European tourists, were abducted after an attack on several tourists in Ethiopia’s Afar region on 16 January. A group of armed men attacked the tourists while they were visiting a volcanic region near the Eritrean border, killing two Germans, two Hungarians and an Austrian, seriously injuring two Belgians and kidnapping two other Germans and three Ethiopians. The attackers reportedly fled over the border into Eritrea. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack and kidnapping, although the Ethiopian government blamed gunmen “trained and armed by the Eritrean government.” The kidnappers did not immediately make any ransom demands for the hostages’ release.

PAKISTAN 19 January 2012

Two foreign aid workers, a Dutchman and an Italian, were kidnapped in the city of Multan on 19 January. The victims were reportedly abducted from their office in the Western Fort colony area by four armed men after returning from flood-hit areas of Kot Addu. The German NGO that the victims work for did not immediately receive any ransom demands for their release.

NIGERIA 20 January 2012

An American working for a Japanese general trading firm was abducted early on 20 January in Warri, Delta state. The kidnappers killed his police escort during the abduction, and have demanded a ransom of 50 million naira (US$310,000) for his release.

PIRACY - NIGERIA 12 January 2012

Eight armed pirates in a skiff approached and fired upon a container ship south of Bonny Island on 9 January. The approach prompted the ship’s captain to take evasive maneuvers while the crew mustered in the citadel. Upon seeing the crew muster in the citadel, the pirates aborted the attack.

MEXICO 12 January 2012

What started as a robbery turned into a kidnapping that was foiled by police in the Gustavo A. Madero area of the Distrito Federal on 11 January. The incident occurred when six armed subjects accosted a woman while she was driving a car with two family members in it, demanding that she give them the money she was carrying in the car. When the woman refused, four of the suspects forced their way into the vehicle and told the woman to continue driving. However, within minutes police officers stopped the car, arrested the four suspects on charges of robbery and express kidnapping, freeing the three victims as well.

VENEZUELA 16 January 2012

A 2-year-old boy was kidnapped on 14 January by three armed men who confronted the child’s mother as she was withdrawing money from an ATM at the Zulia mall in Puerto Ordaz, Bolivar state. The kidnappers contacted the child’s family and initially demanded a ransom of 2 million bolivares fuertes (US$466,000) for the release of the child, but eventually lowered the demand to 500,000 bolivares fuertes (US$117,000). However, before any ransom was paid to the kidnappers, authorities managed to rescue the victim from a safehouse in Puerto Ordaz on 15 January; no suspects were arrested in the rescue operation.

COLOMBIA 3 January 2012

A police report released on 2 January indicated that a total of 258 people were kidnapped in the country in 2011. The figure represents a decrease of 24 people, or 8.5 percent, from 2010, when 282 kidnapping cases were registered. The report also stated that FARC rebels were responsible for only 30 percent of the country’s kidnappings in 2011.

MEXICO 2 January 2012

A non-governmental organization, the Council for Law and Human Rights (CLDH) of Mexico issued a report stating that a total of 17,889 kidnappings occurred in Mexico in 2011, not including express kidnappings. The figure represents an increase of 32 percent compared to the CLDH’s statistics for 2010. The report also indicated that only one out of every 10 cases is officially reported to authorities.

NAMIBIA 3 January 2012

Authorities arrested two suspects on 29 December in relation to the kidnapping of a 9-year-old girl in Swakopmund earlier that day. The two suspects, a 23-year-old woman and her 18-year-old nephew, allegedly abducted the girl as she was walking home in an affluent area of Swakopmund by asking her where to get something to eat and prompting her to go with them. Once she was in the car, the 23-year-old woman began exchanging text messages with the girl’s mother, demanding a ransom of 30,000 dollars (US$3,800) for her release. The girl’s parents agreed to pay a ransom and contacted authorities, who arrested the suspects just before the ransom was to be exchanged.

PAKISTAN 19 December 2011

Several armed men kidnapped a man traveling from Peshawar to Torkham on 18 December. The kidnappers intercepted the van in which the victim was traveling, and forced him into another vehicle at gunpoint. The car was last seen headed toward Shekwan. It is not known whether the kidnappers have made any ransom demands for the victim’s release.

ITALY 17 December 2011

Two men were arrested in Naples on 16 December on charges of extortion. The two men allegedly demanded a payment of 1,000 euros (US$1,300) by the next day from a fish vendor on 15 December. When one of the two men arrived to collect the extortion payment on 16 December, police officers were waiting and arrested him. After interrogating the suspect police located his accomplice and arrested him as well.

PHILIPPINES 16 December 2011

Police in the eastern Sorsogon province rescued a 4-year-old American boy on 14 December who was being held hostage by kidnappers. The boy had been abducted on 6 December in Manila by three armed men who intercepted the car in which he and his mother were traveling. The kidnappers demanded an undisclosed ransom for the child, but even after receiving a payment of US$13,600 the kidnappers demanded US$113,000 more from the family. Once the family alerted authorities, police traced the kidnappers’ calls to the town of Prieto Diaz, where the raid was conducted and the boy rescued unharmed. Five suspects were also arrested in connection with the incident.

COSTA RICA 15 December 2011

Authorities arrested two officers of the San Jose police force on 14 December for having participated in a kidnapping for ransom in late November 2011. The two suspects detained a woman while she was driving under the pretext of making a traffic stop. They then handed her over to two Colombians who held the woman in a car from 2100 local time until 0100 of the next day, while demanding a ransom of 1 billion colones from her family. A local media report stated that no ransom was paid but did not specify the circumstances of the victim's release. Officials also arrested the two Colombians in recent days.

PAKISTAN 14 December 2011

Six employees of a non-governmental organization were kidnapped by several armed men in the Barshur area of Pishin district on 14 December. The abduction occurred as the victims were driving through rural areas of Balochistan and were intercepted by the kidnappers, who commandeered the vehicle with the employees inside and drove it to an unknown location. The kidnappers did not immediately make any ransom demands for the victims’ release.

NIGERIA 15 December 2011

Nigerian authorities announced on 15 December that a kidnapped Italian national was recently freed in Bayelsa state. The victim -- who was a project manager for road construction work -- was kidnapped from a construction site in the Ogbia area of the state on 9 December. The hostage was later rescued on 10 December. Reports indicate that the kidnappers demanded a US$700,000 ransom from the man, but it is unknown if the ransom was actually paid. Authorities arrested four suspects in connection with the incident.

YEMEN 22 November 2011

A Moroccan-French aid worker and two Yemenis were kidnapped on 22 November while on a mission in the town of Msaimeer, outside of provincial capital Huta. The victims were traveling in a Red Cross vehicle on their way to Lahij at the time of abduction. The kidnappers are reportedly demanding the release of several rebels who were arrested on 21 November in Aden.

VENEZUELA 28 November 2011

A kidnap attempt was thwarted in Freites, just outside of Cantaura on 26 November. The incident occurred when a group of five armed men intercepted a vehicle with four passengers. A scuffle broke out when the kidnappers attempted to force all four passengers into their vehicle, which resulted in the kidnappers injuring two of the passengers and leaving them behind, abducting the other two. The victims that were left behind immediately notified police. The kidnappers reportedly released the two abductees on the side of the highway in Santa Ines and set fire to the car in which they were traveling, supposedly escaping in another vehicle.

MALI 25 November 2011

Armed assailants kidnapped three tourists dining in a Timbuktu restaurant named Amanar on 25 November at approximately 1430 local time. A fourth tourist, a German national, was shot dead when he refused to comply with the kidnapers' request to enter a truck. The remaining tourists came from the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden. This abduction comes one day after two French nationals were kidnapped from Hombori. There have been unconfirmed reports that all foreigners in Timbuktu have been gathered at the police headquarters and would be flown out of the city to Bamako on 26 November. Although al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has not claimed responsibility for either kidnapping; its members have been associated with kidnapping more than 50 westerners since 2003.

YEMEN 13 November 2011

An official statement from President Nicolas Sarkozy released in the early morning hours of 14 November 2011 indicates that three French aid workers kidnapped in Yemen on 28 May have been released. The aid workers were taken hostage in southeastern Yemen; the kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$12 million. No details are available regarding the circumstances that led to the release of the aid workers, but France’s foreign ministry stated that it did not pay a ransom. In his statement Sarkozy thanked the government of Oman for its assistance in securing the workers' rescue.

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC 16 November 2011

Police officials reported on 16 November 2011 that they had detained three people suspected of kidnapping and killing a 25-year-old resident of Tokmok in the northern province of Chui. Police became aware of the case on 9 November, three days after the victim went missing. Relatives of the victim had received a ransom demand and had paid the kidnappers US$5,400. However, instead of releasing him, the assailants killed the victim, buried his body and fled to Bishkek. The body was discovered on 11 November.

RUSSIA 16 November 2011

An Uzbek factory worker was kidnapped in the Primorsky area of St. Petersburg on the evening of 15 November 2011. The man alleged that four assailants forced him into the trunk of a car at the Chernaya Rechka metro station at approximately 1800 local time. He was then taken to a house where a number of other Uzbeks were being held. The assailants beat the man, took his cell phone and passport, and demanded he pay 80,000 rubles that they characterized as a debt. He was then released in the Sizov area in so that he could raise the money to pay the assailants.

PORTUGAL 10 November 2011

Authorities rescued a male kidnapping victim on 8 November in the Santarem district. Three suspected kidnappers, who allegedly abducted the woman in order to obtain a large ransom from her employer who owed them money, were arrested after police pulled them over on the A1 highway and discovered the kidnapping victim in the trunk of the car. The circumstances of the initial abduction or the amount of ransom money demanded by the kidnappers were not reported.

SPAIN 10 November 2011

A 38-year-old Colombian woman was confronted in Madrid at approximately 0930 local time on 9 November as she was getting out of her car on Riano street in Barajas by a masked and armed man who forced her to give up her keys and get in the trunk of the car. While in the car the victim called her employer and her husband from her mobile phone, who then in turn notified authorities. The abductor drove the victim around for approximately an hour before stopping and demanding the woman’s ATM card and PIN number so that he could withdraw money from her bank account. After the withdrawal, the abductor began driving on the A-2 highway toward Barcelona but was pulled over by police officers, jumped out of the car and escaped over an embankment. The victim was discovered and released without injuries from the trunk of the car.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 11 November 2011

Dubai police rescued a kidnapped Sudanese businessman on 3 November in Ajman from an apartment where he was allegedly being held and tortured. The kidnappers abducted the businessman from in front of his residence in Al Baraha on 30 October, and had contacted his wife in Sudan demanding a ransom of 1.4 million dirhams (US$381,000) for his release. After the victim’s wife told the kidnappers that she could not raise the money, she contacted authorities, who set up an investigative task force to find and rescue the victim.

RUSSIA 24 October 2011

Two men -- including the assistant director of the company Fudekspert -- were abducted from the company’s office on Livonia Street in St. Petersburg on 21 October. The assailants demanded 2.4 million rubles (US$79,000) that they alleged was owed to them due to the company’s failure to comply with a contract. Police officers were able to locate and free the victims on the evening of 22 October. Four assailants -- including three Armenian nationals and a Russian national from the region of Dagestan -- were detained.

SOMALIA 26 October 2011

Approximately 10 gunmen kidnapped three aid workers in Galkayo, located in Somalia's autonomous region of Puntland, on 25 October. The workers -- Danish, Somali and U.S. nationals -- were traveling in a convoy with armed guards when they were abducted; the guards did not resist the kidnapping. The head of the company’s security team claimed responsibility for planning the abductions in coordination with a pirate group that has demanded an unspecified ransom. The victims' demining aid group suspended operations in the area due to the incident.

PIRACY 25 October 2011

The MV Iceberg 1 was released by Somali pirates on 21 October almost 19 months after being hijacked in March 2010. The ship’s owner reportedly paid an undisclosed ransom to the pirates to secure the release of the vessel. Upon release, the ship was on its way to the port of Salalah in Oman.

PHILIPPINES 21 October 2011

A 5-year-old boy who was kidnapped in Davao City on 17 October was freed by police on 21 October. The kidnappers had demanded 2 million pesos (US$46,000) from the family for the boy’s release, but eventually agreed on 180,000 pesos (US$4,200). The family contacted authorities, who set up a sting operation with a fake ransom exchange early on 21 October. During the operation officers arrested one of the suspected kidnappers and killed another during a confrontation several hours later.

MEXICO 21 October 2011

An elderly woman was kidnapped from her home in central Tenosique at approximately 1930 local time on 19 October. Two armed suspects walked into the house and forcibly removed the victim. Kidnappers contacted the family within an hour, demanding 2 million pesos (US$148,000), then 1 million pesos (US$124,000) and finally 100,000 pesos (US$12,400). The woman was rescued shortly thereafter and three suspects were arrested. Authorities indicated that the kidnapping was one of four over a period of 24 hours in the Tenosique area, with two of them being express kidnappings.

PIRACY 20 October 2011

A group of three armed robbers boarded a tug boat anchored at Sandakan Anchorage (Malaysia) at approximately 2030 UTC on 18 October and stole ship stores before escaping. No injuries to crew members were reported.

GREECE 17 October 2011

An Indian national was reportedly kidnapped in Greece on 8 October. One of the victim’s family members in India received a call on 13 October from the kidnappers, who spoke in both Hindi and Punjabi, and also spoke to the victim, who confirmed that he had been kidnapped. The kidnappers called again on 14 October, demanding the delivery of a ransom of 2 million rupees (US$41,000) in India for his release. Reports did not indicate where the kidnapping took place.

PIRACY 16 October 2011

Serbian authorities arrested four suspects on 15 October in connection with the robbery of a Croatian cargo ship owned by Dunavski Lloyd. The suspects are believed to be associated with an international crime organization that has carried out a string of piracy attacks on cargo ships traveling on the Danube. In the most recent attack on 12 October -- the third the company has experienced in 2011 -- the assailants were able to steal approximately $82,000 USD (60,000 euros) worth of technical equipment from on board the vessel while it was stopped in the port of Smederevo. The pirates are not known to have injured any personnel during the attacks; rather, they appear to be targeting only equipment and other cargo.

PIRACY 14 October 2011

Five masked and armed pirates boarded a tug boat that was towing another vessel in the Singapore Straits on 10 October. The pirates stole cash and personal belongings from crew members and then fled the vessel. No injuries were reported.

VENEZUELA 7 October 2011

Residents of the Alto Hatillo suburb of Caracas held a protest on 6 October against the frequency of kidnapping in the area. According to local authorities, a total of 70 kidnappings for ransom have been reported in the community in 2011, while there are likely more that have not been reported. Statistics indicated that most kidnappings in the area occur over weekends, but can also happen on weekdays, especially after 2200 local time. The areas most affected by kidnappings are El Solar del Hatillo, La Joyeria street, Cantarrana and El Mirador. A large part of the problem, according to the protesters, is the lack of police presence after 2200 local time, at which point there are no more police patrols.

MEXICO 5 October 2011

Authorities in Nuevo Leon stated on 5 October that they had arrested four police officers from the Benito Juarez municipality (a suburb of Monterrey) for keeping kidnapping victims in jail cells while their ransoms were being negotiated. The officers’ arrests came during an operation in which military personnel investigating an abduction discovered the two kidnapping victims in the Benito Juarez municipal jail. The four arrested officers are allegedly linked to Los Zetas drug cartel.

IRELAND 6 October 2011

A “tiger” kidnapping was foiled on 5 October when one of the victims fought back against the kidnappers and authorities arrested another member of the gang as he was attempting to withdraw money from the post office one of the victims worked at. A gang of three armed men broke into a couple’s house in north county Dublin early on 5 October and held the couple hostage for several hours. Then, once the post office one that the female victim worked at opened the kidnappers told her to go withdraw money from the office. As she went to the post office, the three kidnappers took her partner out into a field north of Dublin airport and tied him to a fence. The man freed himself and went back toward the car where he attacked the kidnappers, who eventually forced him into the backseat of the car before he managed to escape again. At the post office, his partner’s manager noticed her odd behavior and alerted authorities. The three kidnappers eluded arrest and reportedly escaped towards Dublin.

FRANCE 29 September 2011

A 52-year-old woman leaving a clinic in Breteuil was confronted by a man who got into her car and forced her at gunpoint to drive to an ATM and withdraw 800 euros (US$1,100). After withdrawing the money, the woman was forced to drive out of town, pull over and exit her vehicle, which the kidnappers told her she would find shortly thereafter. The woman walked down the side of the road and a passing motorist drove her back into town where she alerted authorities, who found her car on the side of the road with the keys in the ignition.

MEXICO 28 September 2011

Authorities indicated that 20 young men were kidnapped on 25 September from Cutzamala and Tlalchapa. The victims were abducted from various locations, including a tire repair shop, a car wash, a residence and a taxi. There have been no official kidnapping reports filed with police officers by the victims’ families, and it is unclear whether any ransom demands have been made for their release.

ITALY 30 September 2011

A group of five armed and masked men confronted a truck driver on the highway from Foggia to Melfi early on 30 September, gesturing for him to pull over while threatening him with guns. The truck driver, whose son was asleep in the backseat, refused to pull over and kept driving until the attackers began shooting at the vehicle, at which point he pulled over. The driver was hit with a rifle butt and forced into the attackers’ car, while his son was forced into the trunk of the car. One of the attackers then began driving the truck, but eventually abandoned it under police pursuit, fleeing into the woods. The truck driver and his son were later abandoned outside Dauno.

ARGENTINA 27 September 2011

Three armed men forced their way into the car of a 21-year-old in the Vella del Parque area of greater Buenos Aires on 26 September. Once in the car, they directed the victim toward General Paz, stealing his valuables and forcing him to call his family and make them pay a ransom of 5,000 pesos (US$1,200) for his release. The kidnappers released the victim unharmed approximately two hours after the ransom was paid, also stealing his car.

PERU 24 August 2011

An 18-year-old South Korean student was kidnapped in Lima on 23 August while driving to school. The abduction occurred at approximately 0730 local time on Avenida Doce de Junio in the La Molina area, when two cars intercepted the victim in his vehicle, dragged him out of the car and forced him into one of their vehicles, then fled the scene. The victim’s family received a phone call demanding a ransom of 5 million soles (US$ 1.8 million) for his release shortly after the kidnapping. Early on 11 September the victim was released in southern Lima relatively unharmed, with several bruises from being tied up. Authorities stated that no ransom was paid for his release, but offered no other details.

INDIA 28 September 2011

A 19-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed by two acquaintances in Bahraich who were arrested and confessed to the crime on 27 September. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom payment of 1.2 (US$24,000) million rupees from the victim’s grandfather, with whom he was living, but the grandfather only made a payment of 600,000 rupees (US$12,000). The kidnappers made another call demanding the remaining 600,000 rupees (US$12,000), at which point the grandfather alerted authorities, who traced the phone calls and arrested the two suspects, who had killed the victim and thrown his body into a nearby canal.

ARGENTINA 27 September 2011

Three armed men forced their way into the car of a 21-year-old in the Vella del Parque area of greater Buenos Aires on 26 September. Once in the car, they directed the victim toward General Paz, stealing his valuables and forcing him to call his family and make them pay a ransom of 5,000 pesos (US$1,200) for his release. The kidnappers released the victim unharmed approximately two hours after the ransom was paid, also stealing his car.

PERU 24 August 2011

An 18-year-old South Korean student was kidnapped in Lima on 23 August while driving to school. The abduction occurred at approximately 0730 local time on Avenida Doce de Junio in the La Molina area, when two cars intercepted the victim in his vehicle, dragged him out of the car and forced him into one of their vehicles, then fled the scene. The victim’s family received a phone call demanding a ransom of 5 million soles (US$ 1.8 million) for his release shortly after the kidnapping. Early on 11 September the victim was released in southern Lima relatively unharmed, with several bruises from being tied up. Authorities stated that no ransom was paid for his release, but offered no other details.

INDIA 28 September 2011

A 19-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed by two acquaintances in Bahraich who were arrested and confessed to the crime on 27 September. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom payment of 1.2 (US$24,000) million rupees from the victim’s grandfather, with whom he was living, but the grandfather only made a payment of 600,000 rupees (US$12,000). The kidnappers made another call demanding the remaining 600,000 rupees (US$12,000), at which point the grandfather alerted authorities, who traced the phone calls and arrested the two suspects, who had killed the victim and thrown his body into a nearby canal.

ARGENTINA 27 September 2011

Three armed men forced their way into the car of a 21-year-old in the Vella del Parque area of greater Buenos Aires on 26 September. Once in the car, they directed the victim toward General Paz, stealing his valuables and forcing him to call his family and make them pay a ransom of 5,000 pesos (US$1,200) for his release. The kidnappers released the victim unharmed approximately two hours after the ransom was paid, also stealing his car.

PERU 24 August 2011

An 18-year-old South Korean student was kidnapped in Lima on 23 August while driving to school. The abduction occurred at approximately 0730 local time on Avenida Doce de Junio in the La Molina area, when two cars intercepted the victim in his vehicle, dragged him out of the car and forced him into one of their vehicles, then fled the scene. The victim’s family received a phone call demanding a ransom of 5 million soles (US$ 1.8 million) for his release shortly after the kidnapping. Early on 11 September the victim was released in southern Lima relatively unharmed, with several bruises from being tied up. Authorities stated that no ransom was paid for his release, but offered no other details.

INDIA 28 September 2011

A 19-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed by two acquaintances in Bahraich who were arrested and confessed to the crime on 27 September. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom payment of 1.2 (US$24,000) million rupees from the victim’s grandfather, with whom he was living, but the grandfather only made a payment of 600,000 rupees (US$12,000). The kidnappers made another call demanding the remaining 600,000 rupees (US$12,000), at which point the grandfather alerted authorities, who traced the phone calls and arrested the two suspects, who had killed the victim and thrown his body into a nearby canal.

PIRACY 14 September 2011

A group of armed pirates boarded two oil tankers off the coast of Cotonou on 14 September, hijacking one of the vessels with 23 crew members on board and sailing to an unknown location. The hijacked vessel, a Cyprus-flagged oil tanker named the Mattheos I, was attempting a ship-to-ship transfer with a Norwegian-flagged vessel at the time of the incident. The Norwegian-flagged vessel was boarded, but crew members retreated to the ship’s citadel and waited until pirates left. Ship owners were not immediately able to establish contact with the hijacked vessel.

MEXICO 13 September 2011

A university student was kidnapped by suspected ELN guerrillas on 5 September as he was paying them a ransom of 300 million pesos (US$170,000) in return for the release of his kidnapped father, who the guerrillas did in fact release. His father had been kidnapped from the Guarato region on 15 August while visiting a mine. The incident occurred in a rural area of the Choco department.

PIRACY 15 September 2011

A group of approximately 26 pirates in two skiffs attempted to hijack a chemical tanker on 14 September near Lome. The pirates carried ladders and ropes in the boats, but the tanker’s crew pulled up their anchor and sounded an alarm, prompting the pirates to abandon the attack. The same group of pirates had reportedly attempted to board another tanker only eight cables away prior to this attack.

ITALY 12 August 2011

A 31-year-old businesswoman suffered an express kidnapping on the A-1 highway in Eboli on 11 August. A car rammed into her vehicle on the highway, and when she pulled over and got out to assess the damage, three people described by the victim as Slavic got out of the other car and forced her into the backseat of her car by threatening her with a knife or other sharp object. The kidnappers then forced her to give them her ATM passcode and withdrew 200 euros (US$ 285) from her bank account before eventually abandoning her in her car on the side of the highway after it ran out of fuel between Cassino and Pontecorvo.

MEXICO 8 September 2011

A report released by local authorities indicated that a total of 270 kidnappings were reported in the state of Chihuahua throughout the first seven months of 2011. The figure, even though it is only through seven months, represents a 43 percent increase compared to the total number of kidnappings in 2010.

The report was released in conjunction with a national report indicating that kidnappings were primarily concentrated in the following states: Mexico, Distrito Federal, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Guerrero, Baja California, Tamaulipas and Chihuaha. The study also stated that 42 percent of the victims on a national level were either traders or business owners, while 16 percent were their employees.

SOMALIA 7 September 2011

A Danish family and two crew members of their yacht that was kidnapped on 24 February 2011 were released on 7 September. Reports indicate that a ransom of $US 3 million was paid for their release.

PHILIPPINES 6 September 2011

A group of gunmen abducted the wife of a British national in a town near the city of Zamboanga in the far southern Philippines on 4 September. The victim was reportedly walking outside the hair salon she owns in Ipil when an unmarked van drove up and a group of armed suspects kidnapped her at gunpoint. Police officers later found the van abandoned several miles away in Bankerohan. The Philippine woman had married a British expatriate employed by an oil company several years ago. Unconfirmed reports indicate that no ransom demand has been made for the release of the woman. Investigators believe the latest kidnapping may have been perpetrated by a local criminal gang that has been responsible for other abductions targeting the wives of European citizens in Zamboanga and other areas of Mindanao island in recent months.

MEXICO 5 September 2011

Authorities in southern Mexico indicated that teachers at 100 schools in Acapulco and the regions of Guerrero state bordering the states of Mexico and Michoacan are being extorted by drug trafficking groups. The extortionists have reportedly demanded a payment of 10,000 pesos (US$ 800) from each teacher for protection.

PARAGUAY 5 September 2011

A 31-year-old woman was released on 4 September after being kidnapped on 30 August. The incident occurred in Asuncion when the victim’s vehicle was hit by another; when she got out of the car to assess the damage, the driver of the other vehicle forced her into his car. The kidnappers had been in negotiations with the victim’s family, but decided to release the victim due to pressure from authorities, who had launched a major investigation into the kidnapping. Police officials believe that the kidnapping was carried out by a gang linked to the Triple Frontera organized crime group, and not the People’s Army of Paraguay (EPP) rebel group.

LEBANON 26 August 2011

An unspecified number of armed men kidnapped two Syrian nationals on 25 August from the Bekaa Valley, east of Beirut. The armed men reportedly intercepted the vehicle in which the Syrians were travelling and abducted them at gunpoint, leaving their driver behind. It is unknown whether a ransom has been demanded for their release.

PIRACY 27 August 2011

Heavily armed pirates attacked a passenger ship near the Nigerian-Cameroonian border on 27 August. The vessel was en route from Limbe, Cameroon, to Calabar, Nigeria, when it was attacked at approximately 0800 local time. The pirates demanded a “monthly security tax” from the captain, and they held the captain while they verified his claim that the payment had already been made. The ship’s 150 passengers were unharmed.

TURKEY 26 August 2011

Five workers for different cell phone operators were kidnapped by suspected PKK members in Bitlis on 22 August. The kidnappers reportedly asked each operator to pay US$ 100,000 in ransom for each hostage, but the companies stated that payment of the ransom was “out of the question.” Two of the hostages were released unharmed on 25 August, although it is unclear whether a ransom was paid.

UNITED KINGDOM (NORTHERN IRELAND) 19 August 2011

Late on 17 August a group of armed men broke into the house of a security firm employee in west Belfast and kidnapped the worker’s wife and son. The kidnappers took them to Castleblaney while forcing the employee to go to work and make several cash pickups on 18 August totaling 200,000 pounds (US$ 330,000) to give them. The kidnapped wife and son were locked in a shed outside of Castleblaney, where they were discovered by police officers after the kidnappers set fire to the van in which they were transported and a neighbor notified authorities of the fire. None of the family members suffered any injuries.

VENEZUELA 18 August 2011

On 14 August 2011 a Mexican employee of a multinational corporation was targeted in an express kidnapping at Simon Bolivar International Airport (SVMI/CCS) in Maiquetia, north of Caracas. The victim was supposed to be picked up by a driver arranged by his company, but the driver was threatened by criminals that stole the sign bearing the victim’s name. When the victim arrived at the airport, he was met by the criminal with the sign, who led him into the parking lot, where he was forced into a white van by another attacker. The kidnappers drove the victim around for approximately three hours, forcing him to withdraw money from ATMs and stealing his money and valuables before dropping him off at a bus station unharmed.

MEXICO 17 August 2011

Authorities in Michoacan have indicated that over the past year in the state, a total of 142 kidnappings have occurred, affecting a total of 163 victims. Out of 163 victims, 120 were eventually liberated, primarily through the payment of ransoms. According to authorities, the total amount of ransom demands in the 142 kidnappings is 149 million pesos (US$ 12.2 million), or an average of 914,000 pesos (US$ 75,000) per victim, with a total of more than 21 million pesos (US$ 1.7 million) having been paid in ransoms.

ITALY 12 August 2011

A 31-year-old businesswoman suffered an express kidnapping on the A-1 highway in Eboli on 11 August. A car rammed into her vehicle on the highway, and when she pulled over and got out to assess the damage, three people described by the victim as Slavic got out of the other car and forced her into the backseat of her car by threatening her with a knife or other sharp object. The kidnappers then forced her to give them her ATM passcode and withdrew 200 euros (US$ 285) from her bank account before eventually abandoning her in her car on the side of the highway after it ran out of fuel between Cassino and Pontecorvo.

PARAGUAY 10 August 2011

A 15-year-old girl was abducted on the afternoon of 8 August in Ciudad del Este. According to the victim, five men in a van stopped her on the street, three got out of the van, sprayed her with an inhalable drug and loaded her into the van. When the victim awoke, she was in an abandoned house with the front door tied shut, but managed to escape and ran to her grandmother’s nearby house. The victim’s mother stated that she had received several text messages from her daughter’s phone demanding that she pay 6 million guarani (US$ 1,500) within three days or else they would kill her daughter.

ARGENTINA 11 August 2011

A 44-year-old lawyer was targeted in a violent express kidnapping in the Lomas del Mirador area of greater Buenos Aires on 9 August. Two armed men stopped the victim as he was driving down the road, robbing him of his money and valuables and severely beating him. Then the attackers forced the victim to drive them to his house, but on the way abandoned the victim in the Lomas del Millon area.

COLOMBIA 5 AUGUST 2011

Colombia’s Fundacion Pais Libre issued a report indicating that the number of kidnappings that occurred in the country through the first six months of 2011 represented a 30 percent increase from the same period in 2011. According to the director of the foundation, kidnappings in 2011 have primarily occurred in rural areas where multinationals are undertaking large construction projects. The worst affected departments have been Meta, Norte de Santander and Narino.

PIRACY 3 AUGUST 2011

The Benin Navy drove off a group of 10 pirates that attacked two Panamanian-flagged vessels that were engaged in a ship-to-ship oil transfer off the coast of Benin on 3 August. The pirates, who naval officials stated were Nigerian without offering any evidence to support the assertion, boarded the vessel and fired their weapons as the crew members hid. There were no reports of injuries to crew members, damages to the ship or theft of ships stores. The attack was the 26th to occur off of Benin in 2011, and the 14th since 1 July.

AUSTRALIA 3 August 2011

The 18-year-old daughter of a prominent businessman in Sydney had a suspected explosive device attached to her in a possible extortion attempt on 3 August. A man wearing a mask had reportedly entered the family’s home in the afternoon and attached the device, which a bomb disposal unit eventually removed safely. Authorities are conducting an investigation and have not offered any specific details but have indicated that the incident may have been an attempt to extort money from the family. No suspects have been implicated yet.

PIRACY 24 July 2011

Pirates seized an Italian ship carrying a load of diesel fuel in the Gulf of Guinea during the early morning hours on 24 July. The pirates boarded the ship and took control of it in an area located approximately 25 mi/40 km south of Cotonou, Benin. The ship's 23-member crew includes nationals of Italy, Romania and the Philippines.
The pirates released the ship on 28 July, and all crew members are reportedly safe. The circumstances under which the release was secured are not known.

ARGENTINA 27 July 2011

According to local judiciary officials, 50 cases of virtual kidnappings have been reported in the city of Rosario since the beginning of 2011, but only in six cases have the targeted individuals paid money. Authorities believe that the same group of two-three people is behind all the reported cases. The modus operandi is also virtually the same in all cases: the perpetrators call the targeted individual on the latter's land line, claiming that a family member has been involved in an accident or other similar difficulty and asking for personal details. The callers then give the person a cell number to call to get further details. Upon calling, the individual is told that the family member has been kidnapped, and a ransom demand is made.

BRAZIL 27 July 2011

On 27 July a 26-year-old female lawyer who had been abducted on 23 May was released near Salvador after 65 days in captivity. The kidnappers had reportedly demanded 8 million reais (US$5.17 million) for her release. The victim was released two hours after the kidnappers collecting an unspecified ransom in a rural area near the city of Bahia.

PAKISTAN 19 July 2011

Eight Pakistani staff members of a U.S.-based relief organization were kidnapped on 18 July in the district of Pishin, located approximately 30 mi/50 km north of Quetta, capital of the Baluchistan province. Officials stated that gunmen intercepted the vehicle in which the victims were traveling. The kidnappers are not known to have made any demands thus far.
In a separate incident, five government officials were kidnapped on 17 July in Baluchistan's Sorange district. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for those abductions but has not yet made any demands.

SPAIN 20 June 2011

A kidnapping victim escaped from his confines in Empuriabrava -- located in northeastern Spain on the Mediterranean coast -- after reportedly being held hostage for eight days in an apartment. The victim stated that he had been forced at gunpoint into a car as he was walking in the nearby town of Figueres. Soon after talking with the victim, authorities detained the suspected kidnapper, who had reportedly demanded a ransom of 10,000 euros (approximately US$14,000) from the victim’s mother.

KAZAKHSTAN 22 June 2011

Police officials reported on 22 June that they had successfully conducted an operation to free a Turkish businessman who was kidnapped in Almaty on 9 June. The victim is an entrepreneur dealing in construction materials who had been in Almaty since May. Investigators have indicated that the assailants had monitored the victim and his habits for an extended period of time prior to the kidnapping. He was taken to the village of Nura located approximately 93 mi/150 km from Almaty and held there while the kidnappers attempted to obtain a US$150,000 ransom from his brother, who also lived in Almaty. The kidnappers threatened to kill the businessman if the money was not paid within one day and beat him numerous times. The brother agreed to pay the ransom; however, the assailants failed to show up at the scheduled money drop and the location of planned drops was changed several times.

MEXICO 27 June 2011

According to figures maintained by local police authorities, 27 kidnappings have occurred in Tijuana so far in 2011; February being the busiest month, with 11 cases. In recent weeks police officers have rescued four kidnapping victims. Most recently, on 24 June in the evening, officers rescued two young women shortly after they had been abducted while driving in central Tijuana. One of the two women is the daughter of a restaurant owner in the Playas de Tijuana area.

PAKISTAN 1 July 2011

On 1 July unidentified gunmen are believed to have kidnapped two Swiss citizens in Baluchistan province. The two traveled from Islamabad and entered the province at approximately 1700 local time, according to the records of a police station where their travel was registered. Their vehicle was found abandoned near Minara, located in the district of Loralai, approximately 105 mi/170 km northwest of Quetta, Baluchistan's capital. No further details are available.

AFGHANISTAN 30 June 2011

Two French journalists arrived back in France on 30 June after having been held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan since December 2009. The Taliban stated that the released the two in exchange for the freeing from prison of two Taliban commanders.

MEXICO 14 June 2011

According to a report issued by a government agency, 26 cases of kidnappings were reported in the state of Puebla in January-May 2011, almost three times more than in the same five-month period in 2010. So far in 2011, May was the month with the highest number of reported incidents, nine.

COLOMBIA 14 June 2011

Reports on 14 June indicated that army personnel located and rescued the security head of an oil company in a rural area of the Arauca department. The victim had been kidnapped on 13 June while driving in the Cano Negro area of Arauca. He indicated that he was kidnapped by six guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who demanded 50 million Colombian pesos (US$30,000) in return for his release, threatening to kill him if the ransom were not paid. Authorities indicated that one guerrilla was apprehended while the rest of them fled the scene after letting the victim go.

PIRACY 15 June 2011

The captain of a cargo ship that was recently released by Somali pirates stated that it was attacked again on the morning of 15 June. According to the captain, four pirates approached the ship and opened fire; the crew fired parachute rockets and threw containers, forcing the pirates to abort the attack. The ship captain complained that, although the crew contacted a nearby Indian navy boat for help, the latter sent no assistance. The Pakistani navy, however, sent a warship to escort the cargo vessel to Salalah, Oman.

MEXICO 10 June 2011

According to a Cabinet official, 837 kidnappings have been reported in Mexico thus far in 2011. The states with the highest number of incidents are Tamaulipas, Mexico, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua and Veracruz.

COTE D’IVOIRE 3 June 2011

French officials confirmed on 3 June that a French citizen who was kidnapped in Abidjan on 4 April has been killed. His remains were found three days earlier, along with another body. The victim was seized along with three other foreigners (one Frenchmen, one Malaysian and Beninese from Abidjan's Novotel hotel. At the time, Abidjan was experiencing fighting between troops loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and President-elect Alassane Ouattara. Members of Ouattara's government -- which is now in power -- have blamed the kidnapping on pro-Gbagbo elements. It is not known if the other body that was found with the Frenchmen was that of one of the other kidnapping victims.

PIRACY 13 June 2011

Somali pirates have released a Kuwaiti-owned tanker which they hijacked on 28 March, as it was sailing from Sudan to Singapore. The pirates allegedly received a ransom of US$12 million. The ship had a 29-man crew composed of 17 Pakistanis, three Egyptians, three Jordanians, two Ukrainians, one Croatian, one Iraqi, one Filipino and one Indian.

MEXICO 25 May 2011

According to statistics released by Nuevo Leon state officials on 25 May 2011, kidnappings (which Mexico fall under two categories) increased by more than 100 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010. There were 14 "secuestros" – kidnappings-for-ransom – in the first four months of 2011; the state registered 18 "secuestros" for all of 2010. "Levantones," which are kidnappings without a ransom demand and are a primary tool of the cartels, also rose significantly. Independent organizations state that kidnappings – particularly "levantones" – are widely underreported. They estimate that for every kidnapping recorded there are 16 that are not reported to authorities. Most kidnapping victims are young, ranging in age from 16 to 30. Entrepreneurs and traders are the most common group kidnapped, followed by business employees and students.

RUSSIA 20 May 2011

Two men claiming to be police officers kidnapped a young man near the entrance to the "Golden Babylon" mall on Decembrists Street in Moscow at approximately 0900 local time on 19 May. Approximately 30 minutes after the abduction, the assailants called the victim's father and demanded a ransom of 500,000 rubles (approximately US$18,000), which the he agreed to pay. The father then informed police officials, who mounted a rescue operation. Both suspects were detained at approximately 1400 local time the same day, and the victim was freed.

NIGERIA 13 May 2011

Gunmen kidnapped two foreign nationals in Kebbi state in northwestern Nigeria on 12 May. Reports indicate that the victims were British and Italian employees of a construction company and were abducted from their apartment in the city of Birnin-Kebbi. A German national was also in the apartment at the time of the kidnapping, but he was able to escape. Authorities have stated that a large sum of money that was in the apartment at the time of the kidnappings was not stolen and that the gunmen have not yet demanded a ransom payment. Although kidnappings frequently take place in Nigeria's restive Niger Delta region, they are relatively uncommon in northern states.

MEXICO 8 May 2011

According to local police officials, seven kidnappings have occurred in the city of Torreon during the first four months of 2011, only three of which were reported to the authorities. In most cases the victims were released after paying ransom. There were 11 kidnapping cases in Torreon during all of 2010, six of which were reported to the authorities.

PIRACY 6 May 2011

Naval forces from the European Union and Turkey rescued a ship with a 24-man Chinese crew hours after it had been hijacked at a point approximately 515 mi/825 km from the Indian port of Bombay. Chinese officials stated that all the crew members are "safe and in good health." No further details are available.

EL SALVADOR 4 May 2011

There has recently been a wave of express kidnappings conducted by street gangs, primarily in San Salvador and in the eastern part of the country. Firm figures are not available, but a former police official stated that he knows of at least seven such cases over the past 10 days.

The kidnappings usually occur near gas stations or small commercial centers, where there are ATMs. The victims are usually students or women, and most cases occur in the early morning hours or late at night, when there is a reduced police presence. The kidnappers force the victims to go from ATM to ATM to withdraw money or drive around with them while demanding money from family members; the amount involved is usually US$200-500. There have also been cases in which the kidnappers have taken victims to an abandoned area, holding them there for ransoms of US$3,000-5,000.

PHILIPPINES 25 April 2011

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. has warned the public that there have been cases when unidentified individuals have attempted to extort money from foreigners by claiming to be immigration agents acting under David's orders. He did not reveal more details about how the extortions are carried out or the typical monetary amounts involved. The commissioner stressed that no immigration official is allowed to verify the immigration status of a foreigners without a mission order issued by the chief of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and urged the public to report all suspicious cases to the BI.

VENEZUELA 10 April 2011

According to a local anti-crime activist, 20 express kidnappings have occurred so far in 2011 in the municipality of El Hatillo, which is part of Caracas' metropolitan area, compared to 50 in 2010. Due to the unwillingness of victims to report crimes, official police figures reflect only one kidnapping so far in 2011 and three in 2010. Most express kidnappings occur in the areas of La Lagunita and El Arroyo and along a stretch of the road between Los Naranjos and Alto Hatillo that has come to be known as the "curve of death." Express kidnappers who operate on this stretch of road typically drive luxury vehicles. They first drive victims to their residences to steal valuables and then call family members to demand a ransom. The local activist attributed the crime problem to the fact that the municipal police force is undermanned and poorly paid.

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY 14 April 2011

Kidnappers killed an Italian national whom they abducted in the Gaza Strip on 14 April. Islamist militants belonging to Tawhid wal-Jihad initially claimed responsibility for the abduction and threatened to kill the Italian national at 1700 local time on 14 April unless Hamas -- which administers the Gaza Strip -- released the group’s leader. However, following the confirmation of the hostage’s death and later discovery of his body during a raid by Hamas forces on 15 April, Tawhid wal-Jihad distanced itself from the event and is no longer claiming responsibility. The incident marked the first abduction of a foreign national in Gaza since a British journalist was abducted in 2007; the Italian national had reportedly lived in Gaza since 2008 and was a pro-Palestinian activist and blogger who had also worked in the West Bank prior to his relocation to Gaza.

GERMANY/LUXEMBOURG/SWITZERLAND 8 April 2011

An unidentified individual has targeted at least 20 food companies in Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland for extortion. The perpetrator has sent letters and email messages threatening to poison the companies' products with arsenic if they do not pay. A media article stated that the sums the individual has demanded are high but quoted no specific figures. The extortion has been ongoing for some time, but there are no known cases of poisoning thus far. According to an unconfirmed report, officials suspect that the extortionist is based somewhere in northern Germany.

PIRACY 8 April 2011

In the early morning hours of 8 April approximately 10 Somali pirates hijacked a Germany ship sailing under the fag of Antigua and Barbuda. The hijacking occurred approximately 40 mi/70 km from Oman coast, at a point 230 mi/370 km northeast of the Omani port of Salalah. The ship was an en route from Mumbai, India, to Port Sudan, Sudan. It has a 10-man crew composed of four Ukrainians and six Filipinos.

COTE D’IVOIRE 5 April 2011

At approximately 1600 local time on 4 April unidentified individuals kidnapped at least four foreigners at the Novotel hotel in Abidjan's Plateau district. Three of the victims are French citizens, one is from Benin and a fourth from Malaysia. One report suggested that there was a fifth victim but provided no details on the nationality. The kidnappers' affiliation and motives are unknown. The incident occurred amid heavy fighting in Abidjan between supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and rebels who support his rival, Alassane Ouattara. The Plateau district is the site of the presidential palace and has seen some of the most intense clashes.

Mexico: 28 March 2011

Two federal police officers and a former official of the Mexico City judiciary kidnapped a merchant recently and demanded a ransom of 500,000 pesos (approximately US$42,000) from his family. The kidnappers seized the man as he was driving on the Mexico-Cuernavaca road on the pretense of having an arrest warrant for him. Upon receiving the ransom demand, family members alerted Mexico City police officers, who located the vehicle in which the victim was being transported. The kidnappers attempted to flee but were detained.

Lebanon: 23 March 2011

Masked men kidnapped seven Europeans who were on a cycling tour on 23 March in Zahle, the administrative center of the eastern governorate of Bekaa. No further details on the circumstances of the kidnapping are available. A Ukrainian identity card was found at the scene, but there is no further information on the victims' nationalities.

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland): 27 March 2011

Police officers arrested four people for kidnapping a man in Bangor, County Down, on 26 March. The abductors seized the man as he was leaving a hostel in the central part of the city at approximately 1700 local time and forced him into a car; the victim managed to escape sometime thereafter. The motivation behind the kidnapping is unknown.

Mexico: 21 March 2011

According to figures released by officials of the judiciary in Guanajuato, merchants make up the largest number of kidnapping victims in the state. Of the 140 kidnapping cases that were reported between 2007 and January 2011, 52 of the victims were merchants, 21 were employees of various companies, 13 students and seven entrepreneurs; the occupations of 34 of victims are not known, while the rest include lawyers, farm owners and others. Kidnappings have increased in the past two years, with 53 cases reported in 2010 and 70 in 2009. The municipality with the highest number of kidnappings (33) was Leon, followed by Celaya with 11. Authorities stated that 124 people were freed and 24 were killed while in captivity, without explaining the discrepancy with the total number of reported kidnappings.

Mali

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has allegedly demanded a ransom of at least 90 million euros (approximately US$127.6 million) and the release of several AQIM members in return for the safe release of four French citizens who were kidnapped in September 2010. The information of AQIM's demands came from a mediator who is based in Goa, located in northern Mali. In February AQIM freed three people who were kidnapped at the same time, a French woman, a Malagasy citizen and one other person from Togo. The circumstances under which their release occurred are unknown.

Panama: 7 March 2011

On 7 March authorities stated that incidences of kidnappings remained steady over the course of 2010 in comparison to 2009. In both years, there were 38 reported cases of kidnapping. However, there was an 81 percent increase in occurrences of kidnapping between 2008 (21) and 2009. So far in 2011, there have been two reported kidnappings, both involving minors.

Colombia: 8 March 2011

On 8 March Colombian authorities indicated that security forces rescued 21 out of 23 oil contractors that were kidnapped by suspected guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on 7 March. The workers were kidnapped in the Vichada Department while working for a Canadian oil firm and are all reportedly Colombian nationals. The rescue operation was made possible by one of the hostages who managed to escape and inform the army of the group’s location. Colombian troops are searching for the remaining victims. At the time of the kidnapping, there was reportedly no army surveillance, which is typical protocol.

Piracy: 7 March 2011

On 4 March suspected Somali pirates attacked a Greek oil tanker that was en route to the Indian state of Gujarat from Antwerp, Belgium. The attack occurred approximately 460 mi/740 km off the coast of the Indian city of Porbandar. The pirates fired fire arms and rocket propelled grenades at the ship, but there were no reports of injuries among the crew. Indian officials later defused a grenade that failed on explode aboard the ship.

Piracy: 3 March 2011

Overnight on 2-3 March fourteen armed pirates boarded a chemical tanker underway approximately 13 mi/22 km from Cotonou. The pirates initially directed the captain to sial to Gabon. When told that the ship did not have enough fuel, they demanded that he sail to Warri, Nigeria, to lighten the load. The pirates' original intention was to steal the cargo, but they panicked when the vessel began to receive communications from various ships, and abandoned the ship after having stolen valuables from the ship and the crewmembers. The pirates took two crewmembers with them while making their escape but allowed them to return shortly thereafter. Two crew members suffered injuries during the episode, and the ship sustained some damage to the bridge and the crew cabins.

Ecuador: 22 February 2011

On 20 February Ecuadorian security forces rescued a Costa Rican woman and her husband who had been kidnapped three days earlier in San Miguel de los Bancos, located in Pichincha Province. Twelve armed men seized the woman and her husband, an Australian citizen, from a farm that is owned by the woman's brother. The kidnappers called the brother on several occasions to demand a ransom, but the amount is unknown. It is also not known if any money was paid. The woman stated later that they were beaten and "treated very badly" while in captivity.

Germany: 11 February 2011

On the morning of 10 February a 44-year-old man kidnapped a 4-year-old girl from her family's residence in Kleinmachnow, located approximately 12 mi/20 km southwest of central Berlin. The man threatened the girl's mother with a weapon but did not harm her. The man released the girl unharmed after 13-14 hours after receiving the ransom of 60,000 euros (more than US$80,000) he had demanded. Police officers arrested him shortly thereafter. The kidnapper is an indebted businessman who acted due to financial problems.

Algeria: 4 February 2011

A 56-year-old female Italian tourist was kidnapped at approximately 1800 local time on 2 February in the area of Alidem, located approximately 80 mi/130 km south of Djanet, in southeastern Algeria. The kidnappers also seized the woman's driver and another local, but released them shortly thereafter. The two released individuals stated that approximately 15 kidnappers riding in two vehicles were involved. An official of the company through which the tourist organized her trip stated that the gunmen arrived at the location seeking a group of tourists. He added that tourists frequently travel to Alidem and no kidnappings had occurred before. Although authorities initially suspected that al-Qaeda operatives were involved, new information suggests that the smugglers may have carried out the abduction. Smugglers in the region have been known to work with al-Qaeda operatives including carrying out abductions and selling victims to the organization.

An audiotape was broadcast on an Arab TV channel on 18 February in which a woman identifies herself as the Italian hostage and states that she is being held by the Taker ibn Zyad battalion of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The woman does not seem to have passed on any demands from her captors.

Piracy: 9 February 2011

Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-flagged oil tanker off the coast of Oman on 9 February. The tanker was en route to the U.S. Gulf coast and is carrying approximately 266,000 tons of crude oil from Kuwait. The crew consists of seven Greek nationals, 17 Filipinos and one Georgian.

PIRACY: 8 February 2011

On 8 February Somali pirates captured an Italian oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. Reports indicate that pirates fired several rounds at the vessel during their attack; none of the ship’s crew members were injured during the attack. The ship, which was en route to Malaysia, is carrying a 22-member crew consisting of five Italians and 17 Indians. An Italian naval vessel is currently heading toward the ship; however, the naval vessel is several hundred miles away and is not expected to reach the ship for several days. The pirate attack occurred approximately 500 mi/800 km off the coast of India and 800 mi/1,300 km off the Somali coast.

MEXICO: 24 January 2011

According to figures provided by the state judiciary, 171 people were kidnapped in the state of Mexico during 2010; 25 hostages were killed and eight remain in captivity. Eight more kidnappings have occurred in the state in January 2011. The state of Mexico had the highest absolute number of kidnappings in the country in 2010 but was ranked 13th based on the number of kidnappings per 100,000 inhabitants (with 0.94). By this measurement, the states with the highest numbers were Durango, Coahuila, Michoacan and Chihuahua, which had rates of between 3.6 and 2.48 kidnappings per 100,000 inhabitants. Michoacan and Chihuahua tied for the second highest number of total kidnappings, with 132 each. In all, Mexican authorities registered 1,126 kidnappings between January and November 2010; this statistic is believed to vastly underestimate the actual number of kidnappings, as the majority of incidents are not reported.

Nigeria: 21 January 2011

On 20 January gunmen kidnapped an Egyptian national while he was working on an oil services vessel. The vessel off which the man was abducted has been contracted by the Nigerian branch of a Western oil company. No additional information on the circumstances of the attack have been released, and it is not known if the kidnappers have demanded a ransom. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Piracy: 18 January 2011

A report published by the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur indicated that pirates took a record 1,181 hostages and seized 53 vessels worldwide in 2010. As of 18 January pirates operating in the waters off the coast of Somalia were holding 31 vessels and 713 crew members of various nationalities. Four ships have been hijacked thus far in 2011. The report also indicates that Somali pirates are moving farther out to sea and away from land in order to evade international warships patrolling the waters closer inland. Most piracy activity in 2010 took place in the Indian Ocean, though violent attacks were reported off the coasts of Bangladesh and Nigeria as well.

Piracy: 17 January 2011

In the early hours of 17 January Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-owned, Cypriot-flagged, bulk carrier approximately 565 mi/910 km southwest of Salaam, Oman. Officials of the E.U. anti-piracy mission Atalanta stated that the pirates fired on the ship. The ship was en route from Aqaba, Jordan, to India with a crew of 24, all of them Filipinos.

Philippines: 12 January 2011

According to statistics maintained by the Philippine National Police, there were 41 incidents of kidnapping for ransom in the country in 2010, compared to 57 in 2009, a 28-percent drop. Luzon Island, on which Manila is located, had the highest number of cases, with 19 (compared to 25 in 2009). There was one case on the island of Mindanao (compared to nine in 2009) and one in the Visayas region (where there were no incidents in 2009). A non-government organization (NGO) contradicted the police figures, especially with regard to Mindanao, where various kidnapping gangs and militant groups that engage in kidnapping are active. The NGO stated that the number of kidnappings has increased on Mindanao, but that these cases are not reflected in the police statistics because authorities classify them as terrorism. The NGO also stated that the average ransom amount is more than 1 million pesos (more than US$22,000).

Mexico: 31 December 2010

According to figures released by officials of the judiciary in the northern part of the state of Chihuahua, 86 kidnappings were reported in January-November 2010 in Ciudad Juarez, compared to 146 in the same period in 2009. However, it is highly questionable whether the lower number of reported incident represents a real drop in the number of kidnappings, due to the high rate of non-reporting. A non-governmental organization that track crime in Mexico estimates that, nationwide 7,500-10,000 go unreported every year, which would represent 86-89 percent of the total.

Piracy: 27 December

On 27 December Somali pirates hijacked a German-owned ship sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. The ship was sailing from the United Arab Emirates to Greece, but the location where the hijacking occurred is unknown at this point. The ship is believed to have an eight-man crew, consisting of seven Filipinos and one Romanian.

El Salvador: 22 December

El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office released kidnapping statistics on 22 December, stating that it received 63 complaints in 2010. Of these, authorities discovered that 18 were self-kidnappings, leaving 45 actual incidents. This figure represents a slightly upward trend from 2009, when there were 42 kidnappings. However, both figures represent a large increase from 2004, during which eight kidnappings occurred. Officials of the national police rejected the above figures, stating that the number of kidnappings decreased in 2010 compared to 2009, but they offered no statistics of their own. A total of 60 people were kidnapped in these 45 incidents, and 17 of the victims were killed while in captivity. In terms of geographical distribution of cases, the department of San Salvador had the highest number (11); followed by San Miguel with nine; Lal Libertad (six); Sonsonate and Chalatenango (four each); La Paz (three); San Ana, Cabanas and La Union (two each); and Ahuachapan and Usulutan (one each).

Bolivia: 4 December

A report that emerged on 4 December provided information on the phenomenon of express kidnapping in La Paz. According to the report, 86 such incidents occurred in the city in January-October 2010; however, the city's police chief acknowledged that the number is likely higher, as many express kidnappings go unreported. The highest-risk areas are Centro, Miraflores and Sopocachi. The perpetrators are typically between 23 and 40 years old, are armed and use violence against their victims. One modus operandi they often use is to pretend to be drivers of what are known as "taxi libre" (as opposed to radio taxis) and to wait for prospective victims outside banks or near ATMs. They often hold victims until past midnight; this allows the perpetrators to maximize the amount of money they get by circumventing daily limits on ATM withdrawals. Authorities believe that three-five gangs dedicated to express kidnapping are active in La Paz.