Senior government officials have even been complicit in kidnapping activities.In August 2019, Gracia Delva, a Haitian senator close to the ruling Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK) party, was investigated after a captured gang leader, Arnel Joseph, claimed that the senator was involved in the kidnapping of a businessman. INTELLIGENCE
Emboldened by widespread political instability, violent protests, and the recent COVID-19 outbreak, criminals will continue to make use of the country’s unstable security environment to step up kidnapping activities, writes In March 2020, the US State Department issued a ‘Do not travel’ advisory for Haiti in response to an increase in violent crime, protests, and kidnapping. In recent months, kidnappings have increased in Haiti.
In March 2020, the US State Department issued a ‘Do not travel’ advisory for Haiti in response to an increase in violent crime, protests, and kidnapping. In the absence of a functioning government and security apparatus, criminals will be emboldened to escalate their activities. Recent victims range from schoolchildren and slum vendors to lawyers, doctors and foreign aid workers. When Pirates Attack: Maritime Insecurity Persists ... Recent victims range from schoolchildren and slum vendors to lawyers, doctors and foreign aid workers. However, foreigners’ already limited presence in the country contributes to a reduced opportunity to target them. Global Kidnap Bulletin | May 2020
This has led to a trend in which groups of individuals affiliated with one another are often kidnapped in succession. While kidnappings for ransom occur regularly, police have reported an increase in 2020. In the absence of a functioning government and security apparatus, criminals will be emboldened to escalate their activities. Many people that ended up kidnapped had applied precaution measures, but they weren’t enough. A street in Port-au-Prince (illustration image). While kidnappers will retain a high intent to target them, restrictions on foreign travel due to the COVID-19 outbreak will reduce the number of foreigners further.Kidnappers have targeted a wide range of victims in multiple locations; while many incidents take place in the slums, such as the Village de Dieu, media also regularly report cases of victims who are brazenly abducted from various affluent neighbourhoods, public transport systems and busy streets. A French citizen, kidnapped Tuesday February 25 in Haiti, was released Thursday evening. Recent cases involving US and Haitian dual-nationals have seen victims taken from outside the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.Of the US nationals kidnapped in Haiti between December 2019 and April 2020:On 27 March, the director of one of Haiti’s top hospitals – the Hospital Bernard Mevs – was kidnapped after leaving his home in the upmarket Pèlerin 4 neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince. Ken Cedeno / Getty. With these factors creating a permissive environment for criminals to operate, Haiti will likely see a further increase in kidnappings over the coming months.Multiple organised and semi-organised criminal gangs operate in Haiti, taking advantage of the poor security environment to perpetrate kidnappings, particularly in Port-au-Prince. Several foreign nationals, including at least ten US nationals, were kidnapped during this period.This escalation has coincided with the ongoing deterioration of Haiti’s security environment – particularly since sustained, violent anti-government demonstrations against the administration of President Jovenel Moïse intensified in December 2019 and forced parliament to close indefinitely in January 2020. 2020-02-28T17:06:36.763Z. Several foreign nationals, including at least ten US nationals, were kidnapped during this period. Local nationals are most commonly the victims of planned kidnappings, where perpetrators use social media to watch potential victims for overt displays of wealth, and to track their movements. Recent cases involving US and Haitian dual-nationals have seen victims taken from outside the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.The recent rise in kidnappings is better explained by poor socio-economic conditions and ongoing political insecurity rather than criminal gangs’ increased capabilities. While kidnappings for ransom occur regularly, police have reported an increase in 2020. In March 2020, a family paid around USD 29,000 for the return of a US national who was kidnapped in the Tabbare neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince. In March 2020, the US State Department issued a ‘Do not travel’ advisory for Haiti in response to an increase in violent crime, protests, and kidnapping. The outbreak of COVID-19 has further strained the country’s ability to address kidnappings, as security personnel have been occupied with containing both protests and the spread of the virus. With these factors creating a permissive environment for criminals to operate, Haiti will likely see a further increase in kidnappings over the coming months.Multiple organised and semi-organised criminal gangs operate in Haiti, taking advantage of the poor security environment to perpetrate kidnappings, particularly in Port-au-Prince. While kidnappings for ransom occur regularly, police have reported an increase in 2020. As such, the country’s eroded security environment provides ample opportunity for criminals to step up kidnappings for ransom in the coming months. The vehicle bearing a State Service plate was … Emboldened by widespread political instability, violent protests, and the recent COVID-19 outbreak, criminals will continue to make use of the country’s unstable security environment to step up kidnapping activities, writes Erin Drake. While Delva attended a court session during Joseph’s trial, it is unclear whether he was charged, or whether an investigation is underway.Reported cases indicate that kidnappers select victims according to their perceived wealth.