The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime Marsh 10.25

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 October 2025

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

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 | October 2025

Control Risks’ Casework July to September 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 90,000 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

119 United States 13 Mexico 4 Congo (DRC)

Breakdown of cases

86% Threat

6% Kidnap

5% Threat Extortion

2 Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nigeria 1

2% Detention

Brazil, Canada, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Japan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden

1% Missing Person

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

Global kidnapping trends July to September 2025

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

Perpetrator types

100%

Europe & CIS

45 %

1 %

5 %

80%

7 %

9 %

7 %

18 %

2 %

MENA

60%

13 %

Americas

59 %

Asia Pacific

40%

Local nationals

Sub-Saharan Africa

Foreign nationals

20%

65 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 89 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days

97 % of global victims were local nationals 23 sectors affected

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 | October 2025

Africa

The number of reported incidents in Nigeria remained broadly stable in Nigeria in the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024. However, kidnap numbers remained elevated. Control Risks recorded a weekly average of 32 reported kidnaps over the reporting period, with many more incidents likely going unreported. Kidnap gangs have continued to confront security escorts during abductions of personnel they viewed as particularly lucrative targets, such as foreign nationals. Control Risks has recorded three incidents over the quarter in which kidnap gangs targeted a convoy or worksite despite the presence of security personnel, with two incidents in Kogi state and one in Edo state. Nigeria will continue to rank among the few countries where sophisticated kidnap groups maintain the capability to routinely confront security escorts. The kidnapping environment in the Sahel region has continued to deteriorate, resulting in further abductions of foreign nationals. A number of threat actors, including al-Qaida’s affiliate Nusrat al-Islam (JNIM), Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and financially motivated criminals, have continued to engage more heavily in the crime. The blockade imposed by JNIM in parts of western Mali has sustained a permissive environment for kidnap groups to operate. The 25 September abduction of two Emiratis and an Iranian national, 30km south of Bamako in the Koulikoro region, is one notable example of the intensification of kidnapper activity beyond their traditional areas of operation. Capacity gaps within security forces and threat actors’ intent to sustain momentum from previous incidents will continue to drive an elevated kidnap threat to commercial operators over the coming quarters.

Humanitarian personnel accounted for a high proportion of kidnap victims in Sudan and South Sudan . While the kidnap threat to humanitarian personnel in Sudan immediately increased following the onset of the conflict in April 2023, South Sudan saw its kidnapping environment further deteriorate over the past quarter amid a surge in clashes between government and opposition forces. Militias and financially motivated criminals in both countries will continue to view humanitarian personnel as viable targets, both for financial gain and as part of a deliberate effort to control the provision of aid amid the wider conflict. Ethiopia saw a reduction in reported kidnaps in the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024. However, Control Risks assesses that the crime is highly underreported and actual incidents likely occur frequently, especially in the Oromia and Amhara regions, the country’s kidnapping hotspots. Over the last quarter, members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in the Oromia region continued to carry out mass kidnaps (where five or more victims are abducted in a single incident) to assert territorial control and demand ransoms. Fano militias in the Amhara region will also continue to abduct humanitarian and inter-governmental personnel in targeted abductions. Kidnap groups will continue to operate with high impunity, posing a sustained threat to commercial operators over the coming quarters.

62 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 84 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 20 sectors affected

Key developments July to September 2025

Reported kidnaps across Sub-Saharan Africa remained comparatively stable in the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024, and reported kidnaps remained frequent in key regional hotspots. The number of reported incidents remained broadly stable in Nigeria in the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024. The kidnapping environment in the Sahel continued to deteriorate, with southern and western regions of Mali experiencing an uptick in incidents. Humanitarian personnel accounted for a high proportion of kidnap victims in Sudan and South Sudan . Reported kidnaps in South Sudan have increased amid escalating violence. Ethiopia continued to present a challenging kidnapping environment for commercial personnel. The Oromia and Amhara regions remain the country’s kidnapping hotspots.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

Americas

Mexico’s kidnapping hotspots, such as the states of Sinaloa, Nuevo Leon and the state of Mexico, witnessed significant increases in the number of verified cases during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year. This pattern remains consistent despite an uptick in security operations conducted by the armed forces. However, such actions have mainly impacted small kidnapping gangs, whereas the capabilities of major organised criminal groups remain largely unchanged. Moreover, security operations have produced little impact on virtual kidnapping cases, as the number of incidents remained consistent with the previous quarter and was 11% higher than the same period in 2024. The US became the main hotspot of crypto- related cases in the Americas, recording 25% more incidents during the third quarter of 2025 than throughout the whole of 2024. This trend will likely persist over the one-year outlook as the opportunity for significantly higher financial gains compared to conventional currency cases will continue to make kidnappers target individuals holding cryptocurrencies or working in the sector. Cases verified by Control Risks suggest that perpetrators are likely to target victims at their homes and hold them captive there for protracted periods. Additionally, victims are likely to experience severe physical violence if they refuse to comply with the kidnappers’ demands. Control Risks did not record significant changes in the number of cases recorded in Ecuador over the first three quarters of 2025. The Guayas, Pichincha and Los Ríos provinces remained the national hotspots, accounting for almost 66% of all cases in the country in Q3 2025. Moreover, Santo Domingo and Esmeraldas also registered considerable increases compared with the previous quarter. Moreover, Control Risks did

not observe any significant changes in the modus operandi of criminal groups. These groups continue to target victims both opportunistically and after monitoring their routines. The decline in cases during the third quarter of 2025 in Peru occurred mainly in provinces outside the national hotspots of Lima and La Libertad. Numbers within these hotspots remained consistent with the previous quarter. Despite the increased presence of security forces in cities and multiple news stories about the arrest of members of prominent criminal groups, small and local gangs are the main perpetrators of kidnap-for-ransom in Peru. The multiple factions of the transnational criminal group, El Tren de Aragua, remain operational and are more likely to pose a threat to business owners and high-net-worth individuals than small gangs. These groups possess the capabilities to profile potential victims and monitor their routines over a defined period, enabling them to carry out complex and premeditated abductions.

66 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 90 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 20 sectors affected

Key developments July to September 2025

The number of kidnapping cases in Mexico’s hotspots increased significantly during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year, despite the wider presence of security forces. Kidnapping is becoming a growing threat to the personnel within the US crypto industry, with the third quarter of 2025 showing a steady rise in targeted incidents. The number of recorded cases in Ecuador remained consistent over the first three quarters of 2025, following two years of continuous increases across the largest provinces in the country. Peru recorded a decrease in cases during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year. However, this trend is not indicative of an overall improvement in the threat environment as kidnappers remain operational throughout the country.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

Asia-Pacific

India will persist as a major kidnap-for-ransom hotspot in Asia-Pacific, after the Control Risks database recorded a 70% increase during the third quarter of 2025, compared with the same period last year. The states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh – historical national hotspots – accounted for over 25% of all cases during this quarter, but incidents persisted across most states. Economic dependants were the most targeted victim profile, largely due to increased activity by low-capability criminals and small gangs looking for easy targets. Additionally, the number of cases ending the same day of the abduction increased by 144% compared with the third quarter of 2024. Despite measures taken by the authorities aimed at reducing kidnapping in the Philippines , cases increased by 166% in Q3 of 2025 compared with Q3 2024. The abduction and murder of multiple Chinese nationals during the second quarter prompted the authorities to revamp the specialised anti-kidnapping unit of the national police. However, patterns observed since the announcement suggest the measure has had limited impact, as the number of kidnap cases continues to rise. Manila remains the national hotspot, accounting for the vast majority of cases during the same period, with incidents targeting foreign nationals increasing by 300%. The reporting environment in Thailand is particularly skewed towards incidents affecting foreign nationals, while numerous incidents affecting locals often go unreported. This issue is particularly prevalent in the country’s kidnapping hotspots, such as the Greater Bangkok area and Chonburi province. Despite the decline recorded during the third quarter, kidnapping is likely to remain a threat to foreign nationals over the next year. This is due to the continued presence of

transnational criminal groups that specialise in targeting wealthy foreigners, including business travellers. These groups primarily target individuals from other countries in the region, particularly from China and are highly skilled in deception tactics, including posing as potential business partners. Cambodia has one of the lowest reported totals of kidnaps-for-ransom in the region. However, the country did see an increase in cases during the third quarter of 2025, likely driven by the growing presence of transnational criminal groups. According to the Control Risks database, all incidents occurred in the capital Phnom Penh, where kidnappers carried out targeted abductions of foreign nationals. These cases closely resemble the modus operandi of high-capability criminal groups operating in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. In each incident, the perpetrators ambushed their victims while they were moving across the city and showed themselves to be capable of inflicting physical violence on the victims to ensure their compliance. Similar cases are highly likely to continue over the rest of the year.

69 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 93 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 17 sectors affected

Key developments July to September 2025

The previously observed downward trend in kidnaps reversed in India during the third quarter of 2025, with cases nearly doubling compared with the same period last year. The Philippines witnessed a substantial increase in kidnapping cases during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, amid generalised concerns over the growing prevalence of kidnapping cases in the country. Thailand saw a 50% decline in kidnapping cases affecting foreign nationals during the third quarter of 2025 compared with the previous quarter. Criminal gangs drove a sharp uptick in cases recorded during the third quarter of 2025 in Cambodia , affecting mainly expatriates from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

Middle East and North Africa

Reported incidents in Syria decreased by 26% over the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024, largely due to a deteriorating reporting environment as the new government struggles to establish effective security provision. However, Damascus saw a rise in reported kidnaps over the same timeframe, as the security environment in the capital has worsened since the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024. Local authorities have relied on kidnapping to target individuals accused of being affiliated with the former regime, while criminal gangs have exploited the security landscape for financial gain. Control Risks has recorded several high-profile abductions of small and medium-sized business owners in the capital over the last quarter, often involving high ransom demands and long captivities. Although abductions of personnel of multinational entities have remained rare in Damascus, such individuals will continue to be viewed as attractive targets by kidnap gangs. Iraq continued to see a decline in reported kidnaps over the third quarter of 2025 relative to the same period in 2024, in line with previous trends. Nearly all provinces saw a drop in reported incidents over the reporting period. Despite this trend, Control Risks assesses that an underlying kidnap threat to business personnel will persist. The kidnap threat in the country will continue to be carried out by actors including Islamist extremist groups, financially motivated groups and Iran-backed paramilitary groups (IBPGs), who rely on the crime to generate revenue and assert territorial control. Kidnaps will continue to carry the potential for high impact and feature protracted durations, as highlighted by the release of a Russian-Israeli researcher in early September, following her abduction in March 2023.

Business personnel continue to face a high kidnap threat in Yemen . A wide range of perpetrators, including Islamist extremists, financially motivated criminals, tribal groups and militias, will continue to engage in the crime with high impunity. While abductions involving business personnel will remain rare due to their low presence in the country, threat actors will retain a high intent and capability to target them, driven by perceptions of wealth and potential for political leverage. Unidentified kidnappers in August abducted the deputy executive director of a subsidiary of a multinational oil and gas company in Shabwah governorate, releasing him after several hours. Employees of humanitarian and inter- governmental organisations will continue to face a disproportionate kidnap threat given their higher presence in the country, relative to business operators. Reported kidnaps in the Gulf countries have remained rare. In the third quarter of 2025, Control Risks recorded isolated incidents in Oman and Saudi Arabia. Robust security forces and strict legal penalties will continue to deter most prospective perpetrators. Most cases in the region will continue to be unsophisticated and low-level and are unlikely to affect business personnel. Incidents will continue to predominantly involve foreign perpetrators from the South Asian expatriate community targeting their compatriots or local criminals involved in financial disputes with victims known to them. The benign security environment across the Gulf countries will sustain a low kidnap threat to business personnel over the coming quarters.

78 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 93 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 8 sectors affected

Key developments July to September 2025

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region saw the number of reported kidnaps over the third quarter of 2025 decrease by 28% relative to the same period in 2024, in line with trends in the previous quarter. The decrease in reported kidnaps was due to a reduction in reported incidents in Syria and Iraq , driven by changing kidnapping environments and more opaque media reporting. Despite a reduction in the absolute number of reported kidnaps, urban centres in Syria , such as Damascus, saw its kidnap threat increase. Iraq continued to record a declining number of reported kidnaps due to a reduction of kidnap activity across the country, though a kidnap threat to local and foreign national personnel will persist. A wide range of threat actors operate in Yemen and there is a high kidnap threat to business personnel. Kidnapping-for-ransom in the Gulf countries will continue to pose a low

threat to business personnel, and reported incidents will remain rare.

The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | October 2025

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 marc.l.hewitt@marsh.com alice.dickson@marsh.com hiscox.com Special Risks Analysis Team specialrisksanalysis@controlrisks.com controlrisks.com

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