Around the world …

The COVID-19 pandemic has made at least one thing clear: the risks for business travellers are on the rise. However, it remains interesting for SMEs to extend their radius of activity, as global sales channels offer financial opportunities. But it is advisable to take a few precautions.

Business travellers are usually focused on their task and do not think too much about their own risks before taking a trip – if it doesn’t actually involve Iraq, Syria or other conflict zones or if, unlike recently, a pandemic breaks out, there are still the risks of infections and of borders being closed.

Companies often neglect their legal duty of care. This was the case with Mr L. who was meant to be taken from the airport to his hotel by taxi in an Eastern European country. At a red light, two men got into the vehicle all of a sudden and threatened him with a weapon. Mr L. abruptly realised the seriousness of the situation. He was kept at a remote location for five hours, beaten and forced to disclose passwords and the PIN codes for his credit cards – in what is known as an “express kidnapping”.

In South America, the perpetrators often sell the victim on to criminal organisations if they consider that this would be “lucrative”. The hostage then has a higher going rate and the holdup becomes directly an abduction with a ransom demand.

Professional crisis management plays a major role in an abduction where a person’s life is at stake. Only very few companies have their own corporate security or experience with these sorts of incidents.