Kidnappers in Jalisco are changing their modus operandi by identifying less wealthy targets and seeking smaller ransoms, usually between 70,000 and 150,0000 pesos, according to the Attorney General’s Office (PGJEJ).
The ransoms are easier to obtain and the victims can be handed over with a matter of days, says Jalisco Attorney General Tomas Coronado Olmos.
Four of the six kidnappings reported in January have used this kind of technique, which Coronado referred to as secuestros al menudeo.The ransom of a ten-year-old boy snatched on January 24 was paid the next day, while a housewife kidnapped on January 21 was released four days later.
An average of five kidnappings a month were registered in 2012, according to the PGJEJ.