Monthly Kidnap Newsletter – May 2016
Transcription
Monthly Kidnap Newsletter – May 2016
MONTHLY KIDNAP BRIEFING ISSUE 123 | May 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 This is the 123rd issue in a series of kidnap-focused reports prepared by Control Risks on behalf of Hiscox. The Monthly Kidnap Briefing is distributed to select clients in order to keep you informed of the trends in kidnapping worldwide and assess the risk of kidnapping to your business. This issue includes an overview of kidnapping-for-ransom trends in April 2016, a brief on extortion in Colombia and a focus on the surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy incidents in Africa in the first quarter of 2016. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. GLOBAL INSIGHT TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 Americas PERU: NEW TACTICS UNDERSCORE THREAT OF EXPRESS KIDNAPPING IN AREQUIPA National media outlet Diario Correo on 24 April reported the emergence of a new form of express kidnapping in Arequipa (Arequipa region). According to police sources, express kidnappers are stealing their victims’ National Identity Documents (DNI) which contain personal information including their address. To prevent the victims from reporting the incident to the authorities, the perpetrators issue threats against the victim or their family. In one incident cited by Diario Correo, the victim was told that if she reported the express kidnap to the authorities, the perpetrators would look for her at her house to take revenge. Express kidnappers commonly select their victims opportunistically based on their perceived wealth, meaning that local business personnel and even foreign nationals are targeted. This crime normally involves the abduction of a victim who is forced, under threat of injury or death, to withdraw funds from automated teller machines (ATMs). It is a commonly under-reported crime, though additional pressure applied by perpetrators on their victims is likely to reduce further their inclination to report incidents to the authorities, thus facilitating the involvement of criminals in the crime. The crime is likely to remain common in major urban areas including Arequipa and Lima in the medium-to-long term. This trend is largely fuelled by an abundance of unlicensed taxis, which are often used to stage express kidnaps. According to national media outlet Perú 21 on 26 February, more than 40,000 unlicensed taxis operate in Lima alone. Meanwhile, the US government has prohibited its personnel from hailing taxis off the street in Arequipa, according to the 2015 Crime and Safety report published by the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). Within Lima, incidents commonly occur in San Borja, Miraflores, La Molina, San Isidro and Surco. According to Diario Correo, in Arequipa victims are frequently targeted at Terminal Terrestre, Avenida Ejercito, Avenida Independencia, and at the Plaza de Armas and in surrounding streets. VENEZUELA: CONSOLIDATION OF ‘PEACE ZONES’ LEADS TO RISE IN KIDNAPPING IN 2016 Local daily El Nacional on 24 April reported that cases of kidnapping in 2016 had increased 161% when compared with the same period in 2015. A similar increase is registered in Control Risks records. Meanwhile, El Universal on 31 March reported that kidnapping had become a principal source of income for gangs, and unofficial figures suggest that an average of 200 short-duration or express kidnaps occur every day. The newspaper also stated that the increase is directly related to the consolidation of so-called ‘peace zones’, where criminal gangs maintain control of large neighbourhoods. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by In September 2013, the government designated certain areas with the highest crime rates in Miranda state as ‘peace zones’, in an attempt to pacify gangs and reintegrate their members into society. In exchange for the gangs’ commitment to disarm, the government agreed to provide resources and construction materials to these areas. The initiative was subsequently extended to areas of the Capital District, Zulia, Táchira, Aragua and Guárico states. The security forces have had a limited presence within these areas since their designation as ‘peace zones’. This led to the consolidation of criminal gangs in these areas. 1 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 In July 2015, the security forces were sent in to regain control of many ‘peace zones’ as part of the Operation Liberation and Protection of the People (OLP). Nevertheless, criminal gangs continue to use safe houses in these areas to hold their victims captive. Media source Runrun.es in November 2015 reported that gangs in four peace zones, including Cota 905 and El Cementerio, were involved in 25% of kidnaps reported in Caracas in 2015 until that time. Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 Africa Extortion in Colombia 4 MALI: DETENTION OF AID WORKERS UNDERLINES SEVERE KIDNAP THREAT IN NORTH Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 A local community on 16 April reportedly detained three employees of an international NGO who were travelling between project sites in a remote area of the north. One victim was quickly released, and reported that the group had been detained over a grievance relating to the arrest of a local guide by French troops deployed as part of Operation Barkhane. The remaining two victims were released on 22 April. The detention underscores the EXTREME kidnap threat in the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal. The region is home to a number of armed groups, including ethnic-Tuareg militias, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its affiliates, and smuggling gangs, all of which operate with relative impunity. Continuing French counterterrorism operations have the potential to anger local communities, which have few legal alternatives to express grievances and often have ties with armed actors. Both local and foreign nationals remain at risk of kidnap in the north. Despite periodic operations and existing deployments by security forces, including French Operation Barkhane, the forces lack the capacity to secure the vast territory from a shifting network of Islamist groups. Foreign operators in the north should take concerted precautions to reduce their exposure to kidnap, with Western nationals viewed as highly desirable targets by militants. NGO employees remain particularly susceptible to kidnap owing to their requirement to operate in remote and underdeveloped regions. The need to appear neutral and non-politicised means that many aid workers travel without overt or heavy security precautions, making them more susceptible to kidnap attempts. Middle East SYRIA: ISLAMIC STATE DEMONSTRATES KIDNAP CAPABILITY, ABDUCTS UP TO 300 EMPLOYEES NEAR DAMASCUS Islamic State (IS) in April continued to demonstrate its significant capability to carry out mass kidnaps. In early April, the group attacked a cement plant in Dumayr (Rif Dimashq governorate), 30 miles (50km) east of the capital Damascus, and kidnapped dozens of employees. The exact number of victims was not clear; reports ranged from 170 to more than 300. Media reporting later in the month indicated that the majority of victims were later released, though a small number had been killed when the group accused them of spying and some were still being held. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by Mass abductions of Syrian and Iraqi nationals have been a common feature of IS’s rule over parts of Syria and Iraq. The group regularly uses kidnapping as a tactic to curb dissent. In Iraq, it has rounded up large groups of people who planned to leave IS territory for a life elsewhere. IS retains the intent to kidnap foreign nationals, but incidents have been few since June 2014. The group’s public beheadings of foreign nationals have encouraged few to venture into IS territory. Nevertheless, IS retains the intent and the capability to kidnap any foreign nationals who do enter areas of Iraq and Syria under its control. 2 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. Asia TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 PHILIPPINES/MALAYSIA: ABU SAYYAF GROUP ADOPTS MARITIME KIDNAP-FOR-RANSOM, BEHEADS FOREIGN NATIONAL The Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in March and April adopted a new tactic in pursuit of lucrative foreigners to ransom. Beginning in late March, the group targeted three vessels in the Sulu Sea within a three-week period. In each incident, the kidnappers boarded the vessel and discharged their weapons before escaping with the foreign national crew members. In some cases, the vessels were ransacked and crew possessions were stolen. None of the vessels were seized. The first incident occurred on 25 March offshore Omapoy Island, Philippines. The ten Indonesian crew members were removed from the vessel and likely taken to an ASG stronghold in Sulu. Unconfirmed media reporting suggested the company had made an offer of USD 1.5m for their release. The second and third incidents both occurred offshore Pulau Sipadan, Malaysia. The first, which occurred on 1 April, resulted in the kidnap of four Malaysian crew members. The second, on 15 April, yielded four Indonesian crew members. Although the ASG has significant maritime capability, it typically carries out abductions on land, usually within a short distance of the coast. It has carried out isolated kidnaps at sea. In April 2014, the group kidnapped two German tourists from a yacht. They released them in October 2014 for the alleged sum of USD 5.6m. Vessels with low freeboards that traverse the group’s area of operations (from the Zamboanga Peninsula (Philippines) to the eastern coast of Sabah (Malaysia)) should take appropriate precautions. The ASG views foreign nationals as particularly lucrative targets and will continue to deliberately seek them out. However, the risk to its foreign national victims increased significantly in late April when the group beheaded a Canadian victim, whom it had kidnapped in September 2015 along with another Canadian, a Norwegian and a Filipina. The beheading is a significant escalation in the group’s treatment of kidnap victims. Previously it has been willing to hold victims for years while waiting for payment. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by 3 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 EXTORTION IN COLOMBIA Africa2 Extortion has risen markedly in Colombia in recent years. Newspaper El Tiempo in 2013 reported that approximately USD 1bn is paid to extortionists annually. However, the real sum could be significantly higher. Between 2008 and 2015, there was more than a 500% rise in cases recorded by the Ministry of Defence. However, extortion is notoriously under-reported, with estimates frequently suggesting that approximately 80% of cases are never reported to the authorities. Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6,000 5,304 5,000 4,805 4,888 4,000 6 3,000 2,316 ABOUT US Control Risks Figure 1: Extortion cases by year 2,000 8 Hiscox8 1,373 1,082 1,805 1,352 1,000 830 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Source: Ministry of Defence The total growth in the crime is unlikely to be as dramatic as suggested by these figures and some of the growth is likely to be accounted for by an increased willingness amongst targets to report the crime to the authorities. However, the rise in reporting of the crime is unlikely to account entirely for this increase. Furthermore, the crime itself has developed, with new criminal groups engaging in it, adopting a range of new methods, and diversifying their pool of potential targets. COMMON CRIMINALS One of the principal reasons for the increase in extortion is the growing number of common criminals, locally known as ‘delincuencia común’ or ‘Delco’, engaging in it. Delco have brought the crime to urban areas and have broadened the pool of potential targets. They do not simply target wealthy landowners and large businesses. The majority of victims today tend to be small business owners or merchants from whom extortionists demand relatively small, but regular, protection payments. While large businesses frequently have protocol in place to protect them from such low-level schemes, small businesses often concede to such demands. By throwing the net far and wide, gangs can earn large sums. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by Not all Delco take such a targeted approach or are able to display the level of capability and intent to carry out their threats, which are required to force targets to continue to make regular payments. Many instead take a scattergun approach, targeting as many people and businesses as possible, and seeking rapid one-off payments. Many such extortion schemes bear a resemblance to virtual kidnapping found elsewhere throughout Latin America. In one form known as ‘Tío Tío’, an extortionist calls their target claiming to be a relative who has been detained at a roadblock. They then pass the telephone to another person who claims to be a police officer and promises to resolve the situation in exchange for a payment. 4 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. INCARCERATED EXTORTION GANGS TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 A particularly large proportion of extortion rackets are run by gangs of common criminals from within prisons. Some of these gangs have affiliates in several prisons. Their network also often includes criminals on the outside who facilitate the collection of personal information about potential targets from a range of sources including telephone directories, advertisements and personal contacts. The authorities have installed signal blockers at prisons around the country to prevent inmates from making extortive calls. There are currently 16 prisons with such a system in place, and there are plans to install them in 60 more, out of the country’s 138 total. However, despite these attempts, according to a report by the anti-kidnap and extortion unit (Gaula) cited in El Tiempo, six of the 12 prisons that account for the highest levels of extortion already have signal blockers in place. As telephone technology and network coverage develops, many extortionists are able to circumvent the measure. Furthermore, although according to the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) 65,000 telephones were confiscated from prisons in the last six years, inmates continue to smuggle in new handsets. This all suggests that extortion rackets will continue to thrive within prisons in the medium-to-long term. FOCUS ON ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases Although Delco and relatively low-level schemes have accounted for a large proportion of the growth in extortion in recent years, a range of illegal armed groups also continue to engage in the crime. Along with drug-trafficking, neo-paramilitary groups such as Clan Úsuga and Los Rastrojos rely on extortion for much of their income. Their extortion rackets tend to be focused in urban areas, though some of the groups maintain rural strongholds – for example Clan Úsuga in the Urabá region of Antioquia department. 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 In the context of swift progress in its ongoing peace talks with the government since mid-2015, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been markedly less belligerent and has reduced its involvement in high-profile kidnapping. However, it has not reduced its involvement in extortion in rural areas to the same degree. The National Liberation Army (ELN) has also formalised its own peace talks with the government while remaining more bellicose than the FARC, and has continued to use kidnapping as a means of enforcing extortion payments. Large businesses, including those working in the extractive and construction industries, as well as transport companies and wealthy ranchers, are likely to remain their primary targets. In relation to unpaid extortion – ‘quotas de tránsito’ – members of the ELN’s Cacique Calarcá Front torched eight vehicles and kidnapped two drivers on the road between Quibdó (Chocó department) and Pereira (Risaralda department) in early April. The victims were released approximately ten days later. Meanwhile, in mid-March, the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI) denounced ELN and FARC fronts for extensively extorting construction businesses operating in Casanare department. The guerrilla groups had demanded 10% of the value of projects in the area. The CCI reported that when payment was not forthcoming, guerrillas had torched machinery leading to losses of close to COP 8bn (USD 2.5m). Many Delco also continue to masquerade as members of guerrilla groups to extort funds. As well as claiming affiliation with an armed group, they frequently adopt the name or alias of a guerrilla fighter. This adds credibility to their threats and urgency to their demands, especially when that fighter is known to operate in the area. Extortionists have been known to masquerade brazenly as both guerrilla and neo-paramilitary groups to demand payments from the same target. OUTLOOK If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by Extortion is likely to remain firmly entrenched in Colombia and diverse in nature in the medium-to-long term, especially given the large proportion of incidents involving low-level criminals. Despite the FARC moving closer to signing a peace deal with the government, and the ELN formalising its own peace talks, both have remained involved in the crime. Furthermore, with national media sources estimating that up to 1,500 criminal gangs or groups operate throughout the country, there will likely be competition to fill the vacuum left by FARC or ELN fronts’ eventual demobilisation. 5 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. FOCUS ON TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 AFRICA: FIRST QUARTER OF 2016 SEES SURGE IN OFFSHORE KIDNAPPING AND PIRACY CASES Since the beginning of 2016, at least 13 recorded cases of maritime kidnap-for-ransom have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea. Most of these have occurred off the coast of Nigeria. The kidnap cases represent just a quarter of the approximately 45 maritime security incidents recorded by Control Risks since the start of the year. These include robberies on anchored vessels, unsuccessful approaches involving gunfire, and the boarding of underway vessels for cargo theft and looting. Taken together, the events represent a significant jump in security incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, producing the highest rate of attacks since the height of pirate activity in the region pre-2008. The ratio of confirmed abductions versus the number of approaches is also notable, representing the highest rate of success for kidnap-focused pirate gangs trying their luck in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea since the first quarter of 2013. While piracy rates in the Gulf of Guinea had slowed since 2013, they had never diminished to the extent seen off the Horn of Africa, after a multinational naval taskforce succeeded in reducing the practice to all but insignificant levels there. Their resurgence in the first quarter of this year can be attributed to a series of domestic factors in Nigeria that have combined to create a perfect storm of conditions for a return of widespread maritime insecurity in the Gulf. According to Control Risks’ sources in Nigeria and anecdotal corroboration in media reports, local political and security stakeholders in the Niger Delta were pressured to do their part to keep pirate gangs quiet and levels of maritime insecurity at bay in the run-up to the presidential election in 2015 (resulting in a shift that year towards Akwa Ibom State, not traditionally part of the piracy ‘Big 3’ of Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa). Then-president Goodluck Jonathan, a native of the region, considered a peaceful Delta region key to his re-election chances and his ability to turn the violence on and off in the region a vital point of leverage with international partners. Throughout the region during the election cycle, fewer offshore incidents were recorded compared to previous years, and the kidnap-for-ransom environment was largely focused around targeting local nationals of higher-than-average wealth or employees of multinationals based onshore. During this period, Rivers and Bayelsa states still accounted for the majority of national kidnap activity, representing the locations of 29.5% of all incidents recorded in Nigeria. The targeting and sabotage of oil infrastructure, such as pipelines and well heads, also subsided noticeably, and the authorities succeeded in locating and shutting down hundreds of illegal bush refineries. However, all of these measures were temporary solutions and cemented the inevitability of a significant security backlash as pressure mounted under the surface. Jonathan’s electoral loss, combined with spiralling oil prices and the accompanying impact on multinationals’ operations and local workforces in the Delta was exacerbated by the destruction of the illegal refineries and a nation-wide fuel shortage in the latter half of 2015 (which continues at the time of writing). The weight of these combined factors lit the fuse for the eruption of pirate activity in January 2016. Furthermore, the political establishment in the Niger Delta, overwhelmingly belonging to Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and sharing his ethnic roots, have a vested interest in convincingly discrediting President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner of Fulani descent, before the next election by taking a backseat approach to the problem. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by Politics aside, the levels of sophistication and co-ordination of pirate gangs seem to have evolved during the fallow season. Control Risks has identified the likely presence of a small number of main pirate gangs, possibly only one, focused on kidnapping out of Bayelsa State. The pirates are able to operate a significant distance from shore, with one kidnap taking place 110 nautical miles (204km) off the coast, and have been reported to use ‘mother ships’ and large skiffs to conduct their operations. In at least one reported incident, pirates boarded a larger vessel and immediately used it as a mother ship in a subsequent, 6 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Middle East 2 Asia 3 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA Extortion in Colombia 4 Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 unsuccessful attempt to attack another. There is a sharpened focus on the kidnapping of expatriate crew from commercial tankers, despite the higher freeboard and security measures of these vessels. Once captured, victims are brought to shore to pirate camps deep in the creeks and rivers, where they are held for an average of 13 days. In more recent cases, however, durations of captivity have been longer, with some cases lasting for five or six weeks, indicating a level of discipline and logistical sophistication likely developed through repetition – another argument for the existence of only a few major pirate gangs. Financially, ransom demands for captured crews average around USD 1m, though demands as high as USD 5m have also been recorded. Control Risks has noted that settlement payments, where reported, average around the USD 100,000 mark. Ransom settlement averages recorded thus far in 2016 are higher than those in 2015, but roughly even to those recorded in 2014. Operators in the area continue to employ mitigation practices, including the use of Nigerian navy armed guards, citadels and hardened access points, but these measures have proven insufficient against determined pirate crews. The ongoing and contentious debate over the presence of private armed guards on vessels operating in Nigerian waters continues, withholding a mitigation measure that proved significant in slowing the rates of successful pirate attacks in the western Indian Ocean. It remains to be seen whether the rates of piracy will continue apace during the rest of 2016. While it would require a lot of effort and co-ordination by pirate gangs to sustain the rate of successful attacks so far offshore as seen this year, the incidents registered to date indicate an offshore security environment consistent with the zenith of the Niger Delta militancy. This suggests that, even if rates do slow slightly, 2016 is on course to be the busiest year for pirates since the introduction of the militant amnesty programme. That programme, justifiably accorded a large share of the credit for slowing the violence since 2009, is one of the PDP’s legacies that Buhari promised during his campaign to reform and eventually eliminate. He has already slashed the budget by two-thirds and removed thousands of participants, while promising to end it definitively in 2018. Combined with the low oil price, dire socio-economic and employment figures, and with Jonathan’s yoke of restraint cast off, the region is unlikely to feel a reprieve from maritime piracy, oil theft and sabotage in the coming year. If you would like to provide us with feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by 7 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list. ABOUT US TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOBAL INSIGHT Americas1 Africa2 Control Risks’ services are exclusively retained by Hiscox. In the event of a kidnap, detention or extortion incident covered by Hiscox, clients will benefit from Control Risks’ services as part of their insurance policy. Middle East 2 Asia 3 CONTROL RISKS Extortion in Colombia 4 Control Risks is a leading international business risk consultancy. It offers a range of integrated political risk, investigative, security and crisis management services to corporate, government and private clients worldwide. Common criminals 4 Incarcerated extortion gangs 5 Illegal armed groups 5 Outlook 5 BRIEF ON LATIN AMERICA FOCUS ON Africa: First quarter of 2016 sees surge in offshore kidnapping and piracy cases 6 ABOUT US Control Risks 8 Hiscox8 Since its foundation in 1975, Control Risks has advised clients on the resolution of 2,891 kidnap and extortion cases in 135 different countries, with 48,464 person-days aggregate duration. Cases have ranged from traditional kidnaps-for-ransom, express kidnaps, hostage takings, ship and aircraft hijacks to political detentions, product extortion and contamination and other threat extortions. Control Risks has a full-time team of Response Consultants, available for immediate deployment in response to a crisis anywhere in the world. Response Consultants will advise on negotiation strategies and on how to manage the various interests of the victim, family, employers, the media, the government and local law enforcement agencies. The Response Division has its own dedicated team of research analysts. As well as supporting consultants deployed on cases, they maintain the International Kidnap Online Service (IKOS) which follows the trends in kidnapping worldwide and allows clients to assess the risk to their business. In addition to IKOS, Response Research produces commissioned kidnap and extortion analysis of any country or sector. If you are interested in any of these services, please write to [email protected] For more information about Control Risks, please visit our website at www.controlrisks.com HISCOX Hiscox is the world’s largest provider of specialist kidnap, detention and extortion insurance, with a market share of 60-70% by premium income. We cover companies and individuals against all forms of extortion and can protect your assets from illegal demands and the consequential associated expenses. Our clients include multinational companies operating in high risk regions of the world, key executives working in commercially sensitive positions and individuals whose wealth or fame may attract the attention of criminals. Hiscox kidnap and ransom underwriters are the most experienced in the field. Our knowledge of the sector enables us to make quick decisions on cover, no matter how unusual the request. We are highly skilled in handling what may be a very difficult and sensitive emergency. Our specialist policies can be tailored to suit individual needs and circumstances. We have underwriting teams based in Guernsey, Paris, Cologne, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and at Lloyd’s of London. If you would like to provide us with For further information, please contact us at [email protected] feedback on the Monthly Kidnap Briefing or inform us of your interest in a specific country or theme that you would like us to cover in a subsequent issue, then please write to [email protected] Prepared by 8 for Note: Hiscox and Control Risks request that recipients do not forward the contents outside the distribution list. Any breach of this will lead to removal from the distribution list.