Kidnap for Ransom By Dave Nicholson (Australian Security Magazine 2008) The phone rings at 2am.

The voice on the other end is frantic. We had just left the meeting when they came from a parked car, smashed something across Steves head and dragged him into a car. They had machine guns, the caller says. Its not a film or a book It is real. Its incidence is increasing, and it is crippling organisations and families for life. Kidnapping, or the use of illegal force or fraud to carry off or hold a person or persons for ransom, is a complex (but growing) modus operandi of terrorist groups, organised criminals and aggrieved individuals. While it is generally considered that such tactics are on the increase (an increase that is obviously dramatic and alarming in some regions), there are intrinsic difficulties in accurately articulating the actual problem, its growth and the specific cause by region with any continuity. One reason for this is the often deliberate and sensible strategy of governments, corporations and insurance consortiums to dilute or withhold specifics and statistics from the public in an effort to prevent such incidents occurring, or indeed, the problem escalating. The figures, in general, are surprising and in some regions very disturbing, and it is obvious to see how they could be seen as alarming to tourists and corporations considering in-region opportunities, travelling business persons or the financial institutions that support operations. Ransoms alone are a serious financial consideration for those at risk. The average settlement figure around South East Asia seems to be in the region of $AUS 500, 000. In Europe it is estimated to be in the region of $AUS 850, 000 and in South America up to $AUS100 million. Furthermore, security, protection, insurance, legal, evacuation, medical and consultants fees can quickly escalate with horrific consequences for governments and the business community as well as victims, families and the negotiating team. Around 90 percent of all kidnappings (excluding the current Iraq situation) take place in the countries listed below, though there is evidence suggesting a significant growth in these incidents in Europe (often associated with extortion). There is also a general global increase in child abduction. Philippines Indonesia Malaysia India Colombia Mexico Former Soviet Union (FSU) Brazil Nigeria Ecuador Venezuela Argentina South Africa

This list is not exhaustive and remains fluid; however, serious precautions are clearly required while travelling in these areas. Kidnap incident objectives vary between the different perpetrator groups. Primarily the problem area of concern is with those perpetrators whose objective is extortion or simple financial gain, as opposed to terrorist hostage incidents. Terrorist incidents, in general terms, are an intrinsic component of a particular style of politically motivated violence with an objective to influence a far greater audience. The majority of for ransom perpetrators operate in a quasi business fashion in the selection of targets likely to attract high ransoms, the initiation of the incident, captivity, communications, negotiation, conclusion and post event. This business type modus operandi brings a level of discipline to some incidents, thus providing a mechanism for sensible and safe incident resolution by specialist consultants. As such, of significant importance in these incidents is an understanding of the region of concern, its likely perpetrators and their method of operation, history, objectives and tactics. This is the intelligence component of incident prevention and resolution, a component that all at risk should consider with care. This business type operation is widespread and growing as organised gangs, rebels and some terrorist networks adopt these principles to generate funding for other illicit activities. The risks for such perpetrators are generally low. The environments in which they operate are often corrupt and local knowledge of often difficult terrain makes intervention or arrest unlikely, with only about 10 percent of all kidnap incidents concluding with any form of rescue or arrest. Clearly the advantages to the kidnappers outbalance any risks, with high ransoms paid and hostage targets on every corner or in every hotel in most regions. Negotiation (often a lengthy process) is clearly the safest and most effective resolution, with research suggesting about 66 percent of victims are released on ransom payment, only about 15 percent released without payment and around 10 percent are rescued through some method of intervention. Obviously, with any incidence of kidnapping, fatalities can occur and as a result, such incidents are a psychological roller coaster. To our anguish, kidnapping has become one of the most dangerous and traumatic threats to any person leaving the comfort and safety of a secure region. Each kidnapping incident clearly tears at the hearts of families, companies and individuals while having a significant impact on society in general. The impact of such trauma and the capacity of individuals and companies to adapt, manage and cope with such cataclysmic events are crucial if the risks of long-term effects are to be mitigated. Of significant note also is the emotional and financial effect on families if the incident is unresolved in the long term. This greatly disrupts the family routine, social interaction and the employment capabilities of some families. Thus, the compensation and after care costs to business or insurance can be severely compounded.

This is of significant importance to kidnap management consultants or negotiators who should clearly understand the likely psychological and physical strengths and weaknesses of the victim they are tasked with releasing or protecting. The issue of protecting individuals is a key component, as in some instances, intelligence or previous experience suggests a release is unlikely and to this end the consultants role is to prolong incident and victim safety while extracting or identifying details to assist with any potential intervention plan. Any quality consultant or kidnap management organisation should advise clients on post incident support and recovery as post-traumatic counseling is likely to be required for extended periods. On this point, it is not only victims who are likely to need the benefit of such support, but the whole range of people involved either prior to, during or post incident locally and at a distance. More recently, some kidnappings have become more complex with the ramifications of the anonymity provided by technology and the World Wide Web compounding perpetrator detection, hostage location and frustrating the human element of negotiations. Furthermore, due to the ubiquitous nature of the Internet, there are newer, even more unusual targets available to those wishing to deliver extortion tactics or plan kidnappings. The ability for criminals to operate in near obscurity has been suggested as a contributing factor in the increase of organised computer crime in recent years and accordingly, there is a seamless association and likely trend. The increased scope and simplified nature of global communications also increases the risks to citizens of countries previously unaffected by such terror. Some of those countries without the large sophisticated detection and enforcement agencies and techniques have responded actively, where possible, to mitigate the growth of kidnapping incidents, either with support or with some level of intervention (primarily as a deterrent strategy). There is a diluted risk to the perpetrators through the reduced chance of detection or law enforcement intervention. For kidnap consultants, communication is another significant factor. Most terrorist and organised crime syndicates operate in a collection of small groups or cells that are loosely networked into a structure. These are often spread out over large geographical areas. While this strategy offers a level of anonymity and possible physical protection, there is an increased need for communications providing an avenue for interception and detection. Equally, in remote regions, electronic forms of communication are used to negotiate with perpetrators. The ability of kidnap consultants to have access to law enforcement agencies or the local legislative empowerment and the technical ability to monitor or intercept communications can provide crucial intelligence, often having a significant effect on the resolution of the incident. Prevention and precautions

It is, I hope, clear to see how prevention is far more efficient and effective for individuals and organisations than a post event resolution. Resolution itself is generally dependent on the level of precautions and prior planning that the person at risk has undergone. Certainly organisations or travelling individuals need to understand the risks and adopt quality active risk management systems. If a kidnap risk is likely then security awareness training should be provided to those at risk, with protection services carefully considered, dependent on the region and risk level. Insurance, policy and travel procedures need special security evaluation and incident management plans should be developed, and tested and accompanied by incident management training for designated or potential incident commanders. These precautions are all tools of prevention, but must be collectively applied strategically and in conjunction with sound intelligence and information systems if they are to effectively mitigate risks. Local knowledge is important, though one should not under-estimate the level of corruption and poor infrastructures of law enforcement evident in many of the regions where kidnappings occur. This emphasises even more the need for good security policies and quality information security. The vetting of staff in local areas is crucial, and any local vetting agencies or sources themselves require careful vetting via trusted secure sources. The type of in-region kidnapping and associated modus operandi needs to be fully understood. Pseudo-Marxist rebels in South America and parts of South East Asia generally operate in a businesslike fashion with high ransom demands and prolonged incidents; however, any actual serious injury to victims in these instances is relatively rare. Miracle fishing (the mass abduction of locals and business people) is a common tactic used by such groups, followed by an assessment of the catch and a valuation of each victim. Express kidnapping is a serious, evolving epidemic in Central America and parts of Asia, with common criminals abducting everyday people and demanding much lower ransoms from family members, thus turning over a high number of victims on a regular basis. Unfortunately, such incidents are less predictable and the likelihood of injury or death is a greater concern. Merchant kidnapping is the targeting of individuals or mass abductions for assessment and onward selling by common criminals or quasi gangs to the more disciplined rebels, drug cartels, or terrorist groups often in more remote areas. The importance of intelligence and an understanding of the perpetrators and their tactics is a crucial component of prevention and incident management. Secondary associated incidents are not uncommon with perpetrators targeting other family or business associates or even members of the kidnap management team while a kidnap negotiation is under way. This strategy clearly compounds the incident and seems to often force a reaction to heavy

ransom payments or certainly strengthens the perpetrators position. This articulates the importance of good security, protection and security awareness while operating in such incident rich environments. Incident management Once an incident has occurred, the management of that incident becomes the crucial component to any successful outcome and this, again, depends on the level of planning and precautions taken. Incident management plans should be rehearsed and followed. Kidnap consultants must be able to respond quickly with pre-arranged contracts or financial retainers set in place. Communications between all parties must be secure, safe and strategically managed and intelligence on the victims and perpetrators is crucial. Business interruption requires consideration, planning and separate management and the aftercare issues post incident need early consideration. Evidence is often crucial for insurance, litigation or even criminal prosecutions and all management advice, decisions and communications need to be logged to provide a clear audit trail. Of importance in these incidents are clarity and certainty and ascertaining firm details and evidence of events is also crucial. Is the incident as it should be? Is there proof of the incident and the victims well being? This proof of well being should be maintained throughout negotiations as a methodology in the bargaining process. The publicised Kidnap and Ransom term (K&R) Proof of Life is not sufficient as a command and control strategy. The objective should be the maintenance of good health and well being. The use of, or support from psychologists, can be a useful tool during kidnapping incidents, especially with post incident evaluations. However, a level of prudence is required if involving psychologists in the actual command and control of the incident, especially if they are to offer strategic advice or be in any way involved with negotiations. Planning for ransom handover and victim retrieval requires early consideration with intervention plans for worse case scenarios prepared and in a state of readiness. Evacuation post event should be imminent and this requires further planning especially in regions with poor transport infrastructures. Conclusion The whole issue of kidnapping is, it seems, an area of alarming and rapid escalation. The ease with which kidnappings can occur and ransoms paid are intrinsically associated with a poor understanding of these incidents and a lack of planning or precautions leading to the escalation some regions have seen. While it seems unlikely that such occurrences can be mitigated in full, it is certainly evident that simple planning and precautions can be both effective and, of course, be the most efficient strategy.

Indeed, with litigation and legislation evolution, companies and governments may be in breach of contracts, duty of care or health and safety requirements if they have not acted reasonably to prevent and prepare for such incidents. n