“Kidnappings are becoming more common, and we should all pay attention,” says Laurie Pieters-James, a criminologist and human trafficking specialist at Cybareti Consulting.
“It is a lucrative money earner that is moving away from only being a strictly professional syndicate-run business, to including more run-of-the-mill criminals who take opportunistic chances.”
She says she is aware of almost two kidnappings a day in Johannesburg alone, in January this year.
Crime stats released by the police for the period October to December 2023, list 2 367 kidnappings for Gauteng. This makes up 51.7% of the national number of cases.
Owner of SCP Security Clive Maher however moved to qualify this statistic though. “Kidnapping figures are not all sophisticated cases in the way this article describes. If a person’s daughter leaves with their boyfriend after an argument the parents might open a case of kidnapping, or if a divorced couple have a fight and one parent takes the child – a case of kidnapping could be opened.”
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Illustrating this when looking at crime statistics are the following – out of the 2 367 cases, only 77 cases are listed as having a ransom demand, one case of human trafficking and seven are listed as extortion.
Hearing about the 85-year-old retired businessman who was kidnapped a fortnight ago from the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia, Pieters-James says she was not surprised.
By its very nature, kidnapping is not spoken about, so people are shocked when it happens, but it is more common than most people realise. This man may himself not be particularly wealthy but perhaps the pooled wealth of his family is worth the effort for the kidnappers. The victims do not pay their own ransom, the family and extended family often do, so their wealth becomes key.
She adds if someone has been kidnapped and it turns out there is no money to pay a ransom, then it becomes very dire for the victim. “In that situation, your life is really in danger.”
Kidnapping is also closely linked to human trafficking she says. “If you know how to traffic a person, kidnapping is just another branch of the same skill set.”
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She describes two kidnapping methods that are at play in Johannesburg:
Syndicate
- These are often made possible because of corrupt law enforcement officials who protect perpetrators
- Target high-value individuals
- The hostage can be held for months until the funds become available
- Ridiculously high ransom demand
- Professionally run operations
- Safer for the target / victim
- Victims are often Indian / Pakistani or other foreign nationals who operate lucrative cash-based businesses.
- Kidnappers are often from countries such as Ethiopia where domestic turmoil and war have driven them to seek greener pastures elsewhere, such as Johannesburg.
Rogue kidnapping
- Comparatively inexperienced criminals
- More prone to panic which can be dangerous
- Victim is generally not kept for a long time.
“In my opinion, the police are not the best people to help in this situation. Of course, you need to open a case with the police but hiring professional hostage negotiators is critical. Independent kidnapping specialists and threat assessors can work in a way law enforcement is not always trained enough in.”
Both need premises at which to hold the hostage, communication tools with which to speak to family members for the ransom, and other utilities which make it impossible to hunt and track if professionals are called in to assist. “The kidnappers can be traced with the right resources.”
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Owner of SCP Security Clive Maher coined the phrase ‘micro kidnapping’ recently when talking about the Emmarentia case.
“Kidnappings are a difficult area to work in but is something that should be taken seriously by everyone in the country. I have been saying for months that kidnappings will supersede cash-in-transit crimes as the country begins to go cashless,” said Maher.
“People are kidnapped by well-organised syndicates who are closely monitoring people catching rides to the airport or out to dinner who are then intercepted and held captive for a micro sum of money.”
He says by using the word ‘micro’ he refers to relatively small amounts of cash such as R50 000 to R100 000, which can be easily transferred on a banking app and only takes five minutes to do.
“Often victim selection is done over months and months where routines, habits, and any business or other dealings are studied before a decision to take an individual is made. It needs to be worth their while in their assessment of the risks associated with the kidnapping.”
Pieters-James discusses a similar method of low-value targets but one that is long-lasting for the victim.
“A victim of any sex is kidnapped, raped, violated, and released on a small bond of say R20 000. They are then blackmailed by the criminals to say, ‘Pay me a monthly sum of money until you die, or I will kidnap your wife, daughter or other family member and do to them what we did to you’. This then becomes a source of passive income for the kidnappers.”
Whatever the circumstances, one thing is true for all kidnappings says Pieters-James. “Kidnappers want to induce panic – it is a psychological game they are playing to get the maximum pay-out that they can.”
What to do if you are kidnapped:
- Fight with every fibre in your being to prevent the kidnapping from being successful
- Have a secondary way to send an SOS message, a second small phone or another device
- If the kidnapping is successful, immediately stop resisting
- Obey every instruction and be quiet
- Become submissive and compliant as you will be harshly punished for disobedience.
What to do if a loved one is kidnapped
- Hire an independent negotiator to assist
- Kidnappers will often hurt the victim when in phone contact with the family to overwhelm them – this is why a trained professional is important.
- Insist on proof of life – ask for a photograph to be taken with the victim and that day’s newspaper
- Without proof of life you can do nothing
- Remember the kidnappers will start with a high amount – you start with a low one and hopefully, a good hostage negotiator can find a middle point.
How to keep yourself safe if your ever kidnapped.
Maher and Pieters-James shared similar advice on what can you do to lessen your chances of being kidnapped
- Raise your situational awareness, always
- Vary routes and routines regularly
- Invest in a small device or phone you carry on you all the time to alert someone you need help
- Invest in a tracking device such as an Apple airpods which can be hidden on your person unnoticeably so your movements can be monitored if needed
- Do not share too much online about yourself, your family or business success
- Do not share pictures of your children online.
Should you or a loved one need an independent hostage or kidnapping negotiator, contact Pieters-James and she can refer you to a specialist. Visit www.cybareti.com, call 076 910 4905 or email enquiriessa@cybareti.com.
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