EXOP’s Kidnapping Risk Overview provides a short global overview and trend about the kidnapping risk for foreigners and local staff of international companies and organisations. The Center for Research & Analysis identifies three key categories of kidnappings: 1) Personal Kidnapping 2) Organised Criminal Kidnapping 3) Politically Organised Kidnapping. The availability of reliable statistics and absolute numbers on attempted and successfully conducted kidnappings for all countries is limited. EXOP experts include the estimated number of unreported cases into the calculation to assess the kidnapping risk level for each country/region. In addition to quantitative analysis, local expertise and in-depth expert knowledge on this subject are additionally necessary to perform an adequate overall assessment. READ REPORT HERE
EXOP is a German risk management consultancy firm headquartered in Constance on Lake Constance, Germany. the company offers ) Premium services for corporate security, travel safety and project assurance. 2) Largest private analysis center for security abroad in Western Europe 3) Works for international corporations, major medium sized companies, development organisations and authorities.
MENA (Middle East and North Africa region) .- Summary Kidnapping is a key risk to foreigners and locals working for international companies and organisations in the MENA region. Over the past six months, kidnapping incidents have most notably occurred in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and Algeria. Due to high levels of corporate security measures among international businesses, militant Islamists are increasingly shifting their focus to the less guarded media, NGO and tourism sectors for kidnappings. read report here
SUB SAHARAN AFRICA.- Summary Kidnapping is a key risk to foreigners and locals working for international companies and organisations in a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past six months, Nigeria and the Central African Republic have accounted for the majority of significant kidnapping incidents. In Mali, Niger and Chad, kidnappings continue to pose a considerable threat to internationals. read here
ASIA & PACIFIC REGION.- Kidnapping is not a key risk to foreigners and locals working with international companies in the Asia & Pacific region. While isolated cases of kidnapping for ransom involving foreigners have taken place across the region in the past few years, the Philippines and bordering Malaysian territory remains the hotspot of related incidents. India and Bangladesh also exhibit a high incidence of abductions, with perpetrators, however, primarily targeting local nationals. read here
EUROPE AND CIS.- Across most of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the risk of kidnapping is marginal for foreigners and locals working for international companies and organisations. Eastern Ukraine is an exception, where foreigners face a high risk of kidnapping by separatists. Criminally motivated kidnappings can occur across the region, but the risk is most significant in Russia, Ukraine and parts of Central Asia.read here
LATIN AMERICA.- The kidnapping risk remains high in many parts of Latin America. Mexico leads the list of the most affected countries (see Focus Mexico), but abductions are also a major concern in the South American countries Venezuela and Colombia as well as in the small Central American states Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
FOCUS TOPIC MEXICO.- Over the past couple of years, kidnapping has emerged as one of Mexico’s most pressing security problems. According to Mexican authorities, the numbers have been rising continuously between 2007 and 2013; only in 2014 did official data show a decline in abductions. READ REPORT HERE
