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.
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