The Jordan Harbinger Show 651: Anja Shortland | How Kidnap Insurance Works
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Apr 14, 2022 Anja Shortland, a political economy professor at King’s College London and author focused on crime economics, shares fascinating insights on kidnapping and ransom. She reveals how many are kidnapped annually and the surprising economic incentives for kidnappers to act nonviolently. Shortland discusses the inefficacies of kidnap insurance, the dynamics of ransom negotiations, and why offering more than demanded can jeopardize safety. She also explores the role of organized crime in stabilizing this shadowy industry, painting a complex picture of a dark but structured reality.
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Kidnapping as a Business
- Kidnapping, while criminal, operates like a self-regulating industry.
- It involves brokers, insurance, negotiations, and logistics, creating an unusual order.
Kidnapping Frequency
- Tens of thousands are kidnapped yearly, but most cases, involving local issues, go unreported.
- Transnational kidnappings, numbering in the hundreds, are more likely to be publicized.
Logistics of Kidnapping
- Kidnapping is logistically complex, requiring securing a valuable hostage, transport, and safekeeping.
- Ransoming is the hard part, intentionally designed to deter opportunistic kidnappers.
