Global Kidnap Bulletin | May 2020

In this edition of the Global Kidnap Bulletin, we look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a variety of travel security threats, we analyse the uptick of kidnappings in Haiti, highlight some of the difficulties of evacuation amid worldwide travel restrictions, look at how the nature of the insurgency in northern Mozambique might be changing, and draw out some of the key features of the ongoing piracy threat in the Gulf of Guinea.

World News in Brief

We offer an overview of the world news from January until April 2020, covering the top stories in kidnap, extortion and crime. This includes the kidnapping of  two Nigerian professional football players, the arrest of three police officers for alleged bribery and corruption in South Africa and armed robberies against mines operating in Sonora, northwest Mexico. Read the article

TRAVEL SECURITY THREATS AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND LOCKDOWNS

As citizens in much of the world have been ordered to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19, some travel security threats have evolved with the circumstances. Criminal groups in Latin America have taken on the role of lockdown enforcers; hate crime and discrimination have been targeted at groups suspected of carrying the virus; and police overreach has resulted in a number of fatalities. This article looks at how travel security threats such as crime and kidnapping have manifested during the pandemic. Read the article

HAITI’S INDISCRIMINATE ABDUCTIONS: KIDNAPPINGS ESCALATE AMID ONGOING UNCERTAINTY

A deteriorating security environment in Haiti has seen a rise in kidnappings this year. Violent anti-government demonstrations ongoing since December 2019 have strained the country’s security forces, which has emboldened criminals – including kidnappers – to ramp up their activities. In this article we look at how kidnapping is becoming increasingly common in Haiti, with a wide range of victims and perpetrators likely to continue their activities as long as the underlying insecurity prevails. Read the article

STRANDED IN A FOREIGN LAND: CHALLENGES OF AIR EVACUATION AMID A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

The worldwide travel bans enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19 have complicated repatriation and evacuation activities. As countries imposed lockdowns and closed their borders, hundreds of thousands of people were left stranded in foreign countries. We look at how the sudden travel restrictions have affected attempts at repatriation, and how the situation might develop when states begin easing restrictions under the threat of a second wave of infections. Read the article

Mozambique Insurgency: Increasing attacks in Cabo Delgado

Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province has been affected by an Islamic insurgency since October 2017, but recent events suggest we may be seeing a change in the nature of the attacks. More complex attacks directed at villages in the area have shown a potential increase in the capabilities of insurgents. In this article we look at what that change may mean for oil and gas operators working in the area. Read the article

WHEN PIRATES ATTACK: MARITIME INSECURITY PERSISTS IN THE GULF OF GUINEA

The Gulf of Guinea remains a global hotspot for maritime attacks, including vessel boardings and kidnappings. Here we draw on the latest key facts and figures, and highlight some recent incidents that demonstrate how typical attacks unfold. Read the article