HomeNewsBriefBolivia Narco-Kidnapping Could Mark Growing Trend
BRIEF

Bolivia Narco-Kidnapping Could Mark Growing Trend

BOLIVIA / 8 NOV 2013 BY JAMES BARGENT EN

Police in Bolivia have rescued a 13-year old child kidnapped over a drug debt, drawing attention to a crime that is likely to increase as transnational organized crime spreads and takes root in that country.

On November 2, four men dressed as police officers took the teenager from his house in the city of Cochabamba, reported Jornada.

At first, the kidnappers demanded $30,000 from the boy's family, but within hours they had raised the ransom demanding an extra $25,000, reported La Razon

After the family contacted the police the next day, officers arrested three men and accused them of taking the boy, who was rescued from a nearby house, where he was found blindfolded and with his hands and feet shackled.

According to police, one of the suspects said the child was the son of a drug trafficker and the money was to settle a debt he owed the kidnappers' employers.

InSight Crime Analysis

It is common practice in the underworld to hold family members of drug traffickers hostage to settle disputes over payment. This is not the first such case in Bolivia, and with transnational organized crime groups seeking to increase their influence in the country, it is likely to become a more common occurrence.

However, it is not the only type of kidnapping witnessed in Bolivia linked to criminal migration. In recent months, police dismantled a kidnapping ring that included eight Bolivians and six Colombians, which operated in Santa Cruz.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Kidnapping

Colombian criminal groups are known to be particularly prevalent in the Bolivian underworld, and it is not surprising some would choose to utilize skills honed in Colombia in new, and less prepared territories. Colombian kidnapping rings already operate abroad; Venezuela is a particularly favored destination.

While there have yet to be sufficient cases to identify this as part of a broader trend, kidnappings are evidently a rising concern for the authorities. Earlier in the week, the police launched a new specialist anti-kidnapping and extortion squad, which will operate out of the country's drug trafficking heartland -- Santa Cruz.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BOLIVIA / 3 MAR 2023

As the CITES treaty hits 50, we take a look at its successes, failures, and future challenges in reducing the…

BOLIVIA / 23 SEP 2022

As world leaders met for the United Nations General Assembly, Latin American presidents expressed various concerns about organized crime.

BOLIVIA / 8 NOV 2022

The Amazon is being plundered at an accelerating rate. Deforesters across Bolivia and Ecuador are emboldened to clear trees for…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.