A South Korean businessman was kidnapped in Peru and rescued within a day, leading the Korean community to reevaluate their safety measures.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a South Korean individual was kidnapped by a local criminal gang after parting ways with an acquaintance in Lima, Peru, in the early morning on Tuesday. He was safely rescued by the police on Wednesday.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where authorities confirmed his safety. The local police arrested three suspects involved in the kidnapping, who engaged in a shootout with officers during the incident.
The Peruvian Interior Ministry and the National Police of Peru (PNP) stated that the suspects had demanded a large ransom from the victim’s family and were intercepted by the police while moving to another location. To evade capture, the suspects recklessly drove through the city and threw grenades at police vehicles while escaping. One officer was injured, but the police ultimately apprehended the suspects and rescued the victim.
The arrested suspects are Venezuelan nationals and members of a criminal gang known as Los Chamos del Naranjal. The Peruvian police are continuing to investigate other crimes committed by these individuals. A bomb squad safely neutralized one unexploded grenade thrown by the suspects.
Although the victim sustained injuries during the kidnapping, he is currently recovering in a downtown Lima hospital. The South Korean Embassy in Peru reported that the victim’s condition is stable and not life-threatening.
This incident has shocked the local Korean community in Peru, marking the first kidnapping of a Korean in the country in over a decade. In response, the Korean community is reviewing and enhancing safety measures for its members.
Although Peru is known for relatively stable public safety in Latin America, the crime rate has surged recently due to economic difficulties and increased immigration. Notably, kidnapping incidents have spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of reported kidnappings jumped from 1,698 in 2020 to 4,060 in 2023, prompting community members to heighten their awareness of safety.
The South Korean Embassy in Peru has issued guidelines on how to respond to kidnappings. The guidelines advise residents not to provoke the kidnappers, to comply with ransom demands, to remember the road conditions while being moved, and to maintain hope and health while awaiting rescue.
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