Spate of Kidnappings demonstrates Risks of Foreign Travel

Spate of Kidnappings demonstrates Risks of Foreign Travel
by LEE HILL KAVANAUGH
The Kansas City Star

Julie Bradley's brother had been in Ecuador just two days when the nightmare began last October. Kidnapped by about 25 armed men in fatigues, David Bradley and nine other oil pipeline employees were shoved into the company's helicopter and whisked away into the steamy night.

One hostage, Ronald Sander, 54, of Sunrise Beach, Mo., was killed Jan. 31, shot five times in the back. A note was attached to his body, stating, "for nonpayment of ransom."

After four months, the other men still are in captivity, but their ordeal soon may be ending. A deal between their American employers and the Ecuadoran kidnappers reportedly was reached last week.

Now some families of the hostages -- reeling with their emotions of fear, relief and a new cautious optimism -- want one message to get out to the world: Their loved ones never dreamed it could happen to them when they accepted a three- to four-week work assignment in Ecuador. But it did.

The crime of kidnapping can happen to anyone.
"People need to know that just because they're working for a company who says an area is safe, that doesn't mean it is," Julie Bradley said from her home in Denver. "...My brother had no idea this could happen."

In the post-Cold War era, more people are traveling to far-flung regions of the Earth for work or play -- be it joint business ventures in a global economy or exotic eco-tours to rain forests. But just as there are new opportunities for ordinary people to travel, there are just as many new opportunities for criminals, including kidnappers, to find easy prey.

"Too often, Americans think, `It'll never happen to me, and if it does happen, the government will get me out,' " said Kevin Gates, supervisor of investigations at the Pinkerton Consulting and Investigation office in Kansas City.

But since the early 1970s, the official U.S. policy toward international kidnapping -- which is considered a terrorist activity -- is not to negotiate.

Kidnapping has become a booming business in some countries, bringing lucrative rewards to captors who rarely are caught.

The number of abductions for ransom reached record levels last year, according to kidnapping experts, with estimates of as many as 20,000 abductions worldwide. But definitive numbers are hard to compile because kidnapping is a crime of secrecy.

Many kidnappings never are reported to the police. Publicity can put hostages at further risk, as well as encourage more kidnappings. Critics say companies and countries also do not want the negative publicity.

The threat of kidnapping has spawned a counterindustry -- that of getting victims back. Kidnapping and ransom companies were hired by 60 percent to 65 percent of Fortune 500 companies last year, according to the Hiscox Insurance Group, a syndicate of Lloyd's of London.

Kidnapping and ransom companies employ professionals skilled for crisis situations, such as former police and military officers, FBI and CIA agents and even former secret agents.

In Kansas City, the Pinkerton office is working with five corporate clients whose employees often travel overseas, Gates said. Because of a confidentiality contract, he could not reveal who those clients are.

"Plus, if kidnappers knew which companies had insurance, it would make them more prone to kidnapping," said Gates, who noted that kidnappers are knowledgeable about the Internet and monitor news.

"But our company doesn't just provide kidnapping and ransom insurance. We try to prevent the situation from ever getting to that point in the first place. We can either protect our clients or teach them how to protect themselves."

Pinkerton has employees stationed in more than 30 countries and has experts on 200 additional nations. Pinkerton agents will often meet CEOs and other business clients in the country's airport, debrief them on current events and inform them of which places in the city to avoid and which routes would be the safest to get to their meetings.

For the average traveler, there are ways to reduce one's risk of becoming a target for criminals. One way Pinkerton helps protect its clients is to teach them how to blend in with the country their visiting and avoid calling attention to themselves, Gates said.

"All Americans are considered wealthy in many countries, even if they're really not," he said. Too often, Americans are magnets to criminals overseas because they act like Americans. Wearing gym shoes or T-shirts with college names, speaking loudly and buying many souvenirs make American travelers stand out.

One simple step travelers can do for themselves is to first check the State Department's Web site for advisories on the country they want to visit and determine if they are heading into a possible hot spot.

Recent advisory bulletins include the countries of Ecuador, the Philippines and the Congo.

One Kansas City area tour group checked the site and changed its travel plans accordingly.

"There are countries we avoided because of the political unrest," said tour promoter Jen Victor of Shawnee. Her group, ICSTARS (I see stars), an astronomy club, is traveling to Africa in June to witness a total solar eclipse.

"Zimbabwe is unstable, so we chose to view the Victoria Falls from the Zambian side," Victor said. "We also chose to take our safari to Botswana because the Congo is in a border conflict.

"People really have to lay it all out on the table and judge for themselves if the risks are worth the travel," she said. "But when they are informed, they can make better decisions.

"Seeing an eclipse is an unearthly event, something you'll never forget the rest of your life. For me, it's worth it to see this. Plus, I know there'll be thousands of others there doing exactly the same thing."

Kidnapping and ransom experts said that travel should not be eliminated, but people at least need to think about what could happen and take the risks seriously.

"With the right planning and preparation, people can travel safely as long as they travel with their eyes open and use common sense to the dangers," said Michael Tibbs, another Pinkerton consultant in Kansas City. "You know, there are some places in the world much safer than downtown Kansas City at night."

To reach Lee Hill Kavanaugh, call (816) 234-4420 or send e-mail to lkavanaugh@kcstar.com.

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