Express kidnapping ( es, secuestro exprés; pt, sequestro relâmpago) is a method of
abduction where a small immediate
ransom is demanded, often by the victim being forced to withdraw money from their
ATM account.
Known in the United States since at least 1986, they are more commonly associated with urban areas of
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
, such as
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and
Colombia. In some parts of Latin America, express kidnappings known as a millionaire tour (in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
''paseo millonario'') involve an innocent taxi cab passenger and a criminal driver, who stops to pick up associates. The passenger is taken to a variety of
ATMs, and forced to "max out" their
bank card
A bank card is typically a plastic card issued by a bank to its clients that performs one or more of a number of services that relate to giving the client access to bank account.
Physically, a bank card will usually have the client's name, the ...
at each.
This type of
kidnapping does not require much experience or preparation and is suspected of being committed by inexperienced
criminals
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
more often than not.
References
External links
Colombia's fight to end violence BBC News, June 3, 2006
Entry 4 Silvana Paternostro, June 19, 2003
{{DEFAULTSORT:Express Kidnapping
Crime in Latin America
Kidnapping
Robbery