Targeted crime is real in South Africa, says Jared Higgins, CEO of Secure Drive, who notes that there\u2019s been a spate of kidnappings, with victims varying from local and visiting business executives, to children snatched for ransom by diverse perpetrators – ranging from internationally-linked syndicates, to domestic workers.<\/p>\n
“While our country has never endured the same infamy as the likes of Mexico at its worst, or parts of Nigeria, experts have warned that it could soon become Africa\u2019s kidnapping hot spot,” Higgins said.<\/p>\n
Most kidnappings \u2013 particularly those by organised criminals \u2013 are carefully planned, he said, targeted abductions that are often only committed after extensive research on a target\u2019s daily habits and routines.<\/p>\n
“These criminals will research their targets, making sure that a victim\u2019s family or business is sufficiently resourced to pay ransoms,” he explains. “They then spend time observing and tracking the target, finding the most opportune moment in their daily activities to abduct the individual,” he said.<\/p>\n
Kidnapping is a serious crime that carries the risk of at least five years\u2019 imprisonment, although often kidnappers, if caught, are charged with multiple offences including attempt to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder or even murder, which may carry sentences of up to life in prison.<\/p>\n
This means that kidnappers \u2013 particularly the syndicates \u2013 will only take calculated risks that they expect to be financially worth their while and where the family is less likely to involve the authorities, said Higgins.<\/p>\n
Higgins offers some tips to mitigate the risks of becoming targeted by opportunistic or planned kidnappers and criminals alike:<\/p>\n
“Many of us get a fright when we read about all the measures we should be taking to protect ourselves, and how we need to implement them in our daily lives.<\/p>\n
“But, as time goes by, without incident, we feel safer because we\u2019ve been doing the right thing for so long, but then our situational awareness decreases \u2013 and it\u2019s then that we become vulnerable again, to kidnapping or any other crime,” Higgins warned.<\/p>\n