The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime 01.26

This report aims to provide readers with an indicative snapshot of kidnap, threat and extortive incidents captured by Control Risks’ Special Risks Analysis team to inform wider trends across Latin America. The following cases are open-source incidents taken from Control Risks’ records. These cases were selected based on their reliable sources and illustrative nature but do not represent the full extent of the problem.

The Global Advisor

Kidnap & extortive crime January 2026

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

The essential report written by Control Risks , for the exclusive readership of Hiscox brokers and policy holders.

Casework

Global kidnapping trends

Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Middle East and North Africa

About Us

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Control Risks’ Casework October to December 2025

Kidnap & extortive crime In the event of an acute crisis – be it kidnap for ransom, extortion, threat, illegal detention or a missing person – effective professional advice is critical. Control Risks is the leading global crisis response consultancy, assigned exclusively to Hiscox assureds. We consistently assist clients with more incidents each year than any other consultancy, giving Control Risks’ consultants an unparalleled level of relevant and recent expertise. Our Response team is immediately available to deploy anywhere in the world. We also have 42 offices worldwide and can provide immediate on-the-ground support to clients in the event of an incident. Control Risks maintains the only team of analysts in the industry that is dedicated to tracking kidnapping-for-ransom and other extortive crime trends globally. The team provides critical operational analysis to support consultants deployed to advise on the resolution of the kidnaps, detentions, threats and extortions affecting Hiscox policy holders. Using the world’s largest commercial database of kidnaps and extortion – currently containing details of more than 91,000 incidents – and their understanding of local security dynamics, the analysts can provide tactical information for a given location, such as the average length of cases and typical concessions, as well as the identities of groups operating there and their motivations. The analysts carry out research and support incidents in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Farsi and Arabic.

The team also supports Hiscox policy holders with preventive kidnap and extortion analysis on the Global Risk Data online platform (brought to assureds by Hiscox as a benefit of the policy), and through bespoke consulting analysis tailored to assureds’ individual exposures.

Location of Control Risks’ cases

Number of cases per country

22 United States 9 Mexico 4 Ecuador 3 Australia

Breakdown of cases

52% Threat

22% Threat Extortion

19% Kidnap

2 Colombia, South Africa, Sweden 1 Cameroon, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, UAE, UK, Venezuela, Yemen

7% Detention

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Global kidnapping trends October to December 2025

Key trends: open source Incidents by region and local vs foreign nationals

Perpetrator types

100% 100

Europe & CIS

28 %

3 %

80% 80

2 %

46 %

9 %

23 %

5 %

1 %

MENA

60% 60

8 %

Americas

57 %

Asia Pacific

40% 40

Local nationals

Sub-Saharan Africa

Foreign nationals

20% 20

69 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 85 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days

97 % of global victims were local nationals 23 sectors affected

0% 0

Americas

Asia and Pacific Europe and CIS

MENA

Sub-Saharan Africa

Islamist extremist

Ethnic/Nationalist

Left-wing

Criminal

Local Community Group

Other

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Africa

The number of reported kidnaps in Nigeria saw a slight decrease in the last quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024. However, Kogi and Kwara states, which recorded periodic incidents over 2024, saw a marked escalation in kidnap activity over the last quarter. The increase was likely driven by the displacement of bandit groups from their operational areas, such as the North-West region and Niger state, due to security operations. Nigeria also saw a number of high-profile mass kidnaps (where five or more victims are abducted in a single incident) in November, including from schools in Niger and Kebbi states. Mass school abductions will continue over the coming quarters, as kidnap groups view pupils as “soft targets” and such operations as a tactic to demand high ransoms for a single incident. Commercial personnel in the Sahel will continue to face risks from arbitrary detention by government forces, despite several high-profile releases. Burkinabe authorities in late October 2025 released eight humanitarian workers from a Dutch NGO, including two French nationals, following their arrest in late July, on accusations of espionage. The last quarter of 2025 also saw the resolution of a two-year dispute between the Malian junta and an international mining corporation, leading to the release of the company’s employees detained since November 2024. French citizens, especially those with intelligence or security backgrounds, will continue to face a significant detention risk over the coming quarters, amid strained relations between France and the Sahelian military-led governments. Humanitarian staff of NGOs banned by the juntas, as well as foreign mining operators, will also remain under scrutiny in 2026.

The deterioration in the security environment in Sudan’s Darfur region, exacerbated by the fall of El-Fasher to the RSF in October, will escalate the number of financially motivated kidnaps-for-ransom and political detentions by the RSF. The Darfur region has remained a long-standing kidnap hotspot in Sudan, and the fall of El-Fasher has consolidated the RSF’s control over most of the region. Humanitarian personnel operating in the region will continue to face scrutiny from the RSF, on suspicions of political affiliation with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Financially motivated criminal groups will also exploit the permissive security environment to engage in the crime as a source of revenue. Express kidnapping will continue to pose a threat to foreign nationals in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania and Kenya . For instance, in October, criminals abducted an Irish tourist in Dar es Salaam in a premeditated scam. The perpetrators forced the victim to withdraw and transfer approximately EUR 3,150 (USD 3,700) before releasing him. Both Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Nairobi in Kenya will continue to see sporadic rates of express kidnaps over the coming quarters, though the crime remains significantly underreported. Low-level criminals, who rely on the crime to generate revenue, will be the main perpetrators of express kidnaps.

68 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 75 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 19 sectors affected

Key developments October to December 2025

The number of reported kidnaps across Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 9% decrease in the last quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024, driven by a slowdown in reported kidnaps in key regional hotspots, such as Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa. Nigeria recorded frequent kidnaps, with mass school abductions continuing to be employed as a tactic by bandit groups. Arbitrary detention risks to commercial personnel in the Sahel will persist, especially for French nationals, who will continue to be highly scrutinised by the region’s military-led governments. Humanitarian personnel operating in Sudan’s Darfur region will face heightened risks of kidnapping-for- ransom and political detentions in the coming year, exacerbated by the fall of El-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Express kidnapping will remain a threat to foreign nationals in Tanzania and Kenya.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Americas

The total number of kidnaps in Mexico in the last quarter of 2025 decreased slightly compared to the same period in 2024, as the internal conflict between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel stabilised and incidents fell in Sinaloa, Chiapas and Tamaulipas states. However, evolving disputes between other major OCGs continued to raise incident levels in several states – a trend that was particularly clear in Guanajuato, which registered a 300% increase. Numerous major groups, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, rely on kidnapping and extortion to generate revenue and consolidate territorial control. Jalisco state also recorded a 33% rise in cases, driven largely by its emergence as a national hotspot for virtual kidnapping. Such incidents rose 29% across Mexico and 33% in Jalisco state. Colombia registered a 4% increase in incidents in the same period. Although the overall rise was modest, cases involving Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla rose sharply, prompting a 267% increase in kidnapped commercial employees. These incidents were concentrated in rural areas of the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander department – an ELN stronghold – and of Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments on the Pacific Coast, where FARC dissidents maintain significant influence. Sectors most affected included agriculture, energy and mining. Multinational companies with foreign and local personnel were also impacted. Honduras registered a sharp rise in virtual kidnapping in the last quarter of 2025, a phenomenon that had not featured prominently in previous years. Virtual kidnappers systematically targeted personnel from businesses offering call-out services – such as energy, utilities and

engineering firms. Scammers posing as potential clients lured employees to rural areas of Francisco Morazán, Atlántida and Cortés departments, where they kept victims on the phone through intimidation while demanding ransom payments from employers or relatives. Criminals involved in traditional kidnapping-for-ransom adopted similar lure tactics, guiding commercial personnel to rural areas of Francisco Morazán and neighbouring Comayagua department, which offered quick escape routes into forested terrain. Kidnapping persisted as a threat to commercial personnel in Venezuela in the last quarter of 2025, particularly in major cities and rural zones bordering Colombia – where Colombian OAGs and local criminal groups exploit the porous border and the authorities’ limited capacity. However, Maduro’s capture by US forces in January 2026 is likely to embolden criminal groups engaged in kidnapping and extortion, including organised criminal groups and heavily armed militias (known as colectivos). This will likely drive an uptick in kidnapping,

especially of individuals perceived as traitors or allies of the opposition. Medium and large businesses face heightened extortion risks, particularly those operating in rural areas where insurgent groups rely on such revenue streams. 70 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 90 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 20 sectors affected

Key developments October to December 2025

Despite a slight decrease in reported cases in Mexico in the last quarter of 2025 compared to 2024, the high prevalence of virtual kidnaps and frequent conflict among organised criminal groups (OCGs) drove upticks in several states. Heightened activity of organised armed groups (OAGs) in rural areas in the last quarter of 2025 drove a 267% rise in kidnapped commercial personnel across Colombia compared to the same period last year. Shifting perpetrator tactics and the growing prevalence of virtual kidnapping prompted a sharp 450% increase in Honduras compared to Q4 2024, particularly in rural areas. The capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro (2013–26) by US forces in January 2026 is likely to prompt violent reactions from multiple armed and criminal groups, leading to an uptick in politically and financially motivated kidnapping in Venezuela .

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Asia-Pacific

India recorded a small increase in kidnaps over the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, indicating a continuation of the broader trend observed in 2025, albeit at a slower pace than in previous quarters. Karnataka and Punjab states recorded the highest number of incidents in the quarter, while Maharashtra continued to report lower rates than those observed in previous years. Reported kidnaps continued to occur across the country, with low-to-medium level criminal groups routinely targeting local business owners and their child dependants. Perpetrators predominantly targeted victims previously known to them, although sporadic opportunistic and targeted kidnaps continued to occur at a lower frequency during the reporting period. Kidnap incidents in Pakistan declined by 23% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Despite this national decrease, the majority of incidents continued to occur in Sindh and Punjab provinces, consistent with patterns observed throughout 2025. However, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces recorded a significant increase in kidnap incidents compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, driven by intensified operations by separatist and extremist groups. These groups continued to target both security forces and local employees working at mining and natural resource worksites. This escalation was most pronounced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where both security personnel and commercial personnel were actively targeted by these high-capability, ideologically motivated perpetrating groups. The localised increase occurred amid ongoing disruptive and anti-government activity by militant groups in these regions during the final quarter of 2025.

Transnational criminal networks operating in Thailand and Myanmar continued to expand operations targeting foreign nationals abroad using online lure tactics in the final quarter of 2025. Victims were primarily intercepted via Bangkok after being lured to the country under the guise of business opportunities, and later transported to rural areas of Thailand or neighbouring Myanmar to be held for ransom and forced into labour in online scam centres. Despite heightened security measures and pointed police investigations introduced by the Thai government which has resulted in a number of arrests of these perpetrators in this quarter, these criminal networks continue to persist and pose a latent threat. They will continue to rely on typical online lure tactics and are unlikely to develop and expand these methods to target a wider victim pool, with expatriates and local nationals unlikely to be targeted. Kidnap rates in the Philippines declined compared to the same period in 2024, despite Control Risks reporting an increase in Q3 of 2025. This decline in cases aligns with the enhancement of deterrence and mitigation measures introduced by the newly formed the Anti-Kidnapping Group, under the remit of the multi-agency anti kidnapping body, Joint

Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee, since its launch in May 2025. The majority of cases continued to involve foreign nationals as both victims and perpetrators, primarily concerning the Chinese expatriate community, however sporadic incidents involving victims from other East Asian countries were reported. Victims continued to be identified primarily based on perceived wealth within the diaspora community, often fitting the demographic of small business owners or known cryptocurrency traders. 70 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 91 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 17 sectors affected

Key developments October to December 2025

Kidnap rates in Asia Pacific (APAC) region fell by 27% over the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. India recorded a slight rise in reported kidnaps over the last quarter of 2025 compared to the previous period in 2024 as criminal groups remained active in hotspot states. Pakistan registered a notable decline between the same time period, although incidents remained concentrated in Sindh and Punjab provinces. Transnational criminal networks operating scam centres continued to drive the kidnap threat in Thailand and Myanmar . Kidnap rates in the Philippines fell in the final quarter of 2025 following enhanced mitigation and deterrence operations by the Joint Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

Middle East and North Africa

Reported kidnaps in Syria continued to decrease in the last quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024, due to a deterioration in the reporting environment. Incidents in Damascus rose over the quarter, with high-profile businessmen continuing to be targeted for ransom. Control Risks also recorded several incidents affecting foreign nationals originating from other Middle Eastern countries over the past quarter. These included the kidnap-for-ransom of two Lebanese nationals in Homs governorate and the abduction of a Saudi national in Damascus. Incidents affecting higher-profile victims will continue as international travel to Syria increases. Control Risks has recorded a slight uptick in kidnapping activity by the Polisario Front in Algeria and Mauritania . In September 2025, Polisario elements abducted ten Mauritanian gold prospectors in Mauritania’s Tiris Zemmour region. In a separate incident in October, rogue elements of the Polisario Front abducted an unspecified number of Chinese construction workers in Algeria’s Tindouf province. The Polisario Front does not commonly employ kidnapping as a tactic, however, and any further incidents will be primarily carried out by group members acting independent of the central leadership. Lebanon saw its number of reported kidnaps decrease in the last quarter of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024. However, despite a lower rate of incidents, kidnapper tactics have remained consistent. Organised criminal groups continued to target Syrian expatriates for ransom throughout the country. In outlier cases, other nationalities, typically originating from other Middle Eastern countries, also fall victim to the crime, due to their perceived wealth and associated ransom value. For instance, criminals in November 2025 abducted a Kuwaiti national

in Beqaa governorate. Kidnapping-for-ransom will continue to pose a latent threat to commercial personnel over the coming quarters. Staff of humanitarian bodies and INGOs will continue to face a significant detention risk in Yemen . Control Risks recorded an uptick in detentions targeting humanitarian and INGO personnel following an address by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, a Houthi leader, on the group’s satellite channel, al-Masirah, on 16 October. al-Houthi accused relief agencies and their staff of espionage in areas under the group’s control. The Houthis then carried out mass detention campaigns, primarily in Sanaa, as well as in other parts of the country under their control and sentenced 18 Yemeni UN workers to death in November. Despite a high-profile cryptocurrency-related abduction and killing of two Russian expatriates in the UAE in October, who were lured by two of their compatriots, kidnapping-for-ransom will continue to pose low risks to commercial personnel in the Gulf country. Reported kidnaps remain isolated incidents in the UAE, and the crime is unlikely to increase in frequency. The October incident, nonetheless, underscores the growing global activity of Eastern European criminal groups, who will remain drawn to cryptocurrency-related kidnapping as a source of revenue generation. Such incidents will remain sporadic in the MENA region, as cryptocurrency adoption levels remain low and specialised Eastern European criminal gangs do not maintain an entrenched presence in the region.

65 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 79 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 6 sectors affected

Key developments October to December 2025

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region recorded a 28% decrease in the number of reported kidnaps for the last quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024. While reported kidnaps in Syria continued to decrease, recorded incidents in Damascus increased for the last quarter of 2025.Control Risks recorded a number of abductions of foreign nationals. Algeria and Mauritania saw a slight uptick in reported kidnaps, driven by the kidnapping activity of elements of the Western Saharan separatist group, the Polisario Front. Although reported kidnaps in Lebanon decreased, kidnapper tactics remained largely consistent with previous quarters. Yemen saw an increase in mass detention campaigns targeting staff of humanitarian and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs). Although the United Arab Emirates

(UAE) saw an outlier high-profile cryptocurrency-related abduction over the past quarter, kidnap risks will remain low.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2026

About Us The Hiscox Crisis Management division serves both corporate and private clients. Our exclusive partnership with Control Risks allows us to combine renowned insurance expertise with unparalleled security risk and crisis management capability to protect what matters most to our clients. We are the global leaders in this sector. For over 30 years in partnership, Hiscox and Control Risks have helped policyholders manage thousands of crisis events, including complex security and integrity issues. Together, we combine our insurance expertise with Control Risks’ capabilities across security risk and crisis management, protecting what matters most to our clients.

Control Risks is a global specialist risk consultancy. We are committed to helping our clients build organisations that are secure, compliant and resilient in an age of ever-changing risk. We believe that responsible risk-taking is at the core of our clients’ success. We have unparalleled experience in helping clients ready themselves for, respond to and recover from challenges and crises that arise in any ambitious organisation seeking to convert risk into opportunity globally. Kidnap and ransom Hiscox has established itself as the world’s leading provider of crisis insurance for the last 25 years, offering financial protection and world-class response services to corporations and private individuals all around the world. Our insurance offering keeps people and businesses safe against the threat of kidnap, extortive threats, malicious detention, hijack and other complex crises. We insure all forms of corporates, from the largest multinationals to the smallest companies, as well as families and some of the wealthiest people in the world whose wealth or fame may attract unwanted attention. Hiscox is the world’s largest provider of crisis insurance, currently underwriting more than half of the industry’s kidnap and ransom insurance premium.

In business since 1901, Hiscox is one of the most trusted and influential Lloyd’s of London syndicates. Whether it’s protecting family homes from a storm surge or hail damage, helping to safeguard blue-chip companies from the crippling financial and reputational costs of a cyber-attack, or working to keep employees safe and businesses operational following a terrorist incident, we continue to innovate to respond to some of the most complex, volatile and emerging risks.

Key coverages include:

Multinational companies of all sizes operating in high risk regions of the world Charities and NGOs Security companies Shipping companies Key executives working in commercially sensitive positions Private families

Copyright © Control Risks. All rights reserved. This report is for distribution by Hiscox only and must not be reproduced or disclosed to any other party (“Third Party”) without the express prior written consent of Control Risks or Hiscox. Any reproduction or disclosure without authorisation shall be considered an infringement of Control Risks’ intellectual property rights (including copyright). If authorised, disclosure by an authorised party (“Authorised Party”) must be subject to the following conditions: (i) the Authorised Party will not change the wording or alter the meaning given in any part of this report; (ii) all extracts from this report will be individually attributed to Control Risks with the reference “Source: Control Risks” at the end of such extract; and (iii) save as otherwise agreed in writing by Control Risks, the Authorised Party will not broadcast, publish, resell or otherwise disclose this report to any Third Party without the prior written consent of Control Risks. This report is based on information available at the time of writing. No express or implied warranty is given in respect of any judgment made or to changes or any unforeseen escalation of any factors affecting any such judgment. The issues covered by this report and the emphasis placed on them may not necessarily address all the issues of concern in relation to its subject matter. Analysis provided in this report does not in any way constitute recommendations or advice, nor constitute a warranty of future results by any company in the Control Risks group of companies (“Control Risks”) nor an assurance against risk. Control Risks disclaims all liability arising from the disclosure and use of this report.

For more information about Hiscox or Control Risks, please contact: Kidnap and Ransom Team KR.London@hiscox.com KR.Guernsey@hiscox.com hiscox.com Special Risks Analysis Team specialrisksanalysis@controlrisks.com controlrisks.com

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