

Eugene Kaspersky's son kidnapped in Moscow? - splattne
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/it-tycoons-son-kidnapped-in-moscow/story-e6frf7jx-1226043129087

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palish
Are there any examples of a kidnapping actually being profitable?

It's almost impossible to pull off something like this. The money has to be
transferred. Online? Follow the money trail. Cash? The police will embed
tracking devices within the bills. (This is why you should immediately
submerge your illicit cash in water. But I learned about that trick years ago,
so surely the police would have waterproof equipment by now.)

If you do manage to get cash, then the three golden rules are:

1) Do not deposit more than $5,000 at any one bank.

2) Do not buy a house with cash.

3) Do not buy an expensive car -- law enforcement will notice your expensive
Ferrari in front of your otherwise-middle-class house.

And at that point, have fun spending the rest of your life worrying whether
someone discovers one of your fake identities, which leads them to your other
identities, which connects you to the kidnapping. Not much of a life.

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stef25
I've travelled through places like Mauriania and Mali, where AQIM pays local
gangs a couple grand if they manage to nab some westerners. Not too long ago
Spanish aid workers were kidnapped this way (traveling in the last car in a
convoy) and reportedly the Spanish government paid millions to have them
released. The Germans have done the same.

Can you imagine what a couple million euros is to a bunch of former goat
farmers now brandishing AK's? It's very lucrative business in that part of the
world.

A Belgian prime minister was kidnapped in the 90's and a ransom was paid for
his release.

Whoever kidnapped Anthony de Clerck also here in Belgium got paid 250 million
Belgian Francs, also back in the 90's.

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palish
That's fascinating. I wish I knew what you read to learn what you know.

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stef25
If you're not being sarcastic and you want to know what goes on in the Sahara
then check out the appropriate forum on the HUBB.

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TheloniusPhunk
I hope this isn't true.

