The Hostage Survival Guide: The Facts and Stats

Please note that because kidnapping is a criminal activity and because many kidnaps go unreported (it’s estimated that only one in ten are reported), there are few comprehensive studies from which to draw data. Add to this the fact that kidnapping reports are often collected under reviews of terrorism. For these reasons, the figures below should be treated as estimates.

• 8,000: the number of annual worldwide kidnappings.

• $5,000-100 million: the range of ransom demands.

• 3,000: the annual number of kidnappings in Mexico. Until recently, this made it second in the world for kidnappings. That position has now been taken by Iraq. (See the Interactive map to find out who is number one.)

• $500m: the annual global takings of the kidnap industry.

• 100%: the increase in kidnapping around the world in the last six years.

• 90% of kidnap victims are locals not foreigners. Roy Hallums may have been one of 400 foreigners kidnapped in Iraq but, in the same period, 30,000 Iraqis were kidnapped.

• 21%: the number of hostages in Latin America who survive rescue attempts.

• 40% of kidnap victims are released safely after payment of a ransom, according to Control Risks of London. Estimates, however, vary with one source stating that as many as nine out of ten are released.

• 11% of kidnap victims are released without a ransom being paid, either through negotiation or because the abductors realise that no-one’s going to pay up.

• 10: the average number of kidnappings daily in Columbia.

• 3% of kidnappers caught in Columbia are convicted compared with 95% in the US.

• 1 in 10: the ratio of kidnappings reported to the authorities.

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Tips on avoiding being an hostage;

• Always be aware that you may be potential target when travelling in countries known for kidnapping. If you’re a businessman arriving at an airport, for instance, don’t have a driver waiting with a sign with your name and company on it: it would single you out too much.

• If you’re an executive of a multinational, you might think you’re top of a kidnapper’s list but you’re probably too well-protected with bullet-proof glass and bodyguards to be an easy target. Also, the risk of foreign government pressure over the abduction of a high-profile target means that lower grade employees are more often targeted. Employees like engineers or, in the case of Roy Hallums, simple contractors, may not generate the highest possible ransom but they are a much less risky proposition.

• Not everyone can afford executive protection so vary your routines. Don’t arrive on the same day of the week, stay in the same hotel, and take the same route to work. Limit the number of people with access to your itinerary. That way, if anyone is targeting you, they won’t know exactly when and where to find you.

• In very poor countries with a history of kidnapping, even ordinary tourists can be potential targets.

• Only take reputable public transport and avoid travelling alone. Some kidnap gangs work in concert with cab drivers.

• Stay away from suspect places. Equally, avoid high-profile events that may give the impression you can afford the high life and are therefore worth kidnapping.

• Don’t wear jewellery, carry a laptop with a company logo on it or wear designer clothes.

• Be prepared. As with accidents and theft, you can take out insurance against being kidnapped. Policies make sure the ransom is paid and the insurers work in tandem with investigators to secure your release.

MEND . . . . .