39 out of every 100 kidnap victims are murdered

El Diario/Milenio (5-12-2013)

Translated for Borderland Beat by un vato

Distrito Federal (Milenio).- In the last five months, the number of kidnappings carried out for the sole purpose of murdering the victim increased 17.1% compared with the average in the preceding six-year period.

According to the Multisystems Industrial Security Group, 39 out of every 100 kidnappings that were committed between December 2012 and April of the current year ended with the murder of the kidnapped victim, while during the period between 2007 and 2012, there were only 22 deaths (per 100).

This modality has gotten stronger in the past few years, because (in the period) between 2000 and 2006, only 7.3% of kidnappings were carried out for the purpose of taking the victim's life.

According to statistics from the business group, 41.9% of the kidnappings committed  from December 2012 to date were done in a conventional manner (the criminals ask for payment to release the person), while 19.3% of the remainder had the characteristics of an "express-style" kidnapping.

Official figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Publica) indicate that during the period from December, 2012, to March, 2013, organized crime deprived 480 civilians of their freedom, which represents an increase with respect to the 415 kidnappings reported during the same period a year before, when Felipe Calderon was President of Mexico.

From the start of his administration, Enrique Pena Nieto tagged as a priority the "gradual" reduction of crimes with a major social impact, such as intentional homicides, kidnappings and extortion.

Before the communications media, he asked for a year's period before the results of his administration's public safety measures are evaluated. 

Modus operandi

According to Alejandro Desfassiaux, president of Multisystems Industrial Security Group, eight out of ten kidnappers know their victims directly or indirectly, which is why he recommended certifying personnel you work with, maintaining a low profile, changing routines constantly and not accepting unknown persons on social networks.  

On this last point, the businessman explained that Facebook and Twitter "have become a profitable tool for kidnappers", because they use them to choose and track their victims.

The way to operate through a social network is by seducing and creating a direct contact with the victim to meet them somewhere and kidnap them fist chance (they get).

In addition, he explained that 70% of kidnappings take place on the street and that four out of ten kidnap victims are female minors.

Desfassiaux explained that this kind of crime has been on the rise, "because, every day, criminals are becoming specialized in surveillance techniques". Plus, "they no longer carry out long lasting kidnappings; they prefer shorter periods that pay off immediately or promptly."

He concluded by saying that in some cases freedom "is no longer negotiated, because there is also the type of criminals who kidnap a person for revenge, whether it is for personal reasons, feelings of rejection or betrayal, or because they were fired in a bad way."

Where the crime is located

-- Last January, the global security consultant Control Risk placed Mexico in second place with respect to the number of kidnappings worldwide, surpassed only by Nigeria.

-- It explained that the fight against drugs promoted by the government of Felipe Calderon affected cartel operations, which is why these organizations went into businesses connected with high impact crimes, such as extortion and kidnapping.  

-- According to the consultant, the kidnapping situation in Mexico is more serious than in countries like Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iraq, Lebanon, Colombia, Kenya or Syria.

-- The National Public Security System reported at the time that the states most affected by kidnappers were Veracruz, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Hidalgo, Jalisco, State of Mexico and Morelos.