InvestiGATiION OF K1pNApPING-FOR-RANSOM Hereunder are some of the important things to be considered in dealing with the kidnap-for-ransom cases, not only by the investigators, but also by the families and relatives of the kidnap victim: 1. Precautions 1) Avoid any indication that police authorities have been informed of the kidnapping. 2) Avoid publicity of any kind. Knowledge, on the part of the kidnappers, that the police are working on the case or that it has become public knowledge could cause them to panic and to make a wrong decision which could endanger the life of the victim. 3) Contacts by police authorities with relatives of the victim should be in a neutral place to avoid detection of police investigation.yea 4) If police authorities are positive that the case in "question is kidnapping and not an ordinary “missing person” Case, investigation, especially those relating to the identities of the suspect, their associates, their habits, activities and movements, their physical descriptions, etc., should be done with the utmost secrecy. If Sieps “A” to “D” might endanger the life of the victim, it is better to freeze all investigative activities until the victim's relatives hear from the kidnappers. Always remember that, in a kidnapping, the safety znd security of the victim is the primary consideration. When Demand for Ransom is Made by Telephone Steps should immediately be taken to legally record all telephone conversations with any member of the iadnapping group. 2 Make necessary legal arrangements to trace calls made by the kidnappers. 3) Covert surveillance of all places where telephone calls were made should be conducted. Instruct the “ictim's relatives to prolong the conversation with the kidnappers to get as much information (back sound noise, intonation, peculiarity of speech, caller's age, sex, exact words used, etc.) as possible without, however, inviting suspicion that the relatives » are acting upon the orders of the police. oo in receiving a kidnap call. the following must like- wise be observed: 2) Try to signal someone to listen on another €xtension. :b) Keep the caller online for as long as possible c) Do not antagonize the kidnapper. d) Give the kidnapper a code word for later iden. tification. e) Ask the victim's name, where and when he or she was seized, the victim’s code name and ask to speak to the victim. f) Make a written record of the caller's age and sex, mental state, peculiarity of speech, exact words used, time call was received and extension received on. g) Notify security office at once. h)_ Tell no one else about the call. It is good practice to keep a form such as this near every telephone of the different special operating units of the police to ensure that all kidnap calls are handled in the right manner, no matter who receives it. 3. When Demand for Ransom is in Writing Demands for ransom, made in writing, call for careful handling of the written communications for possible lifting of latent fingerprints. Hold the letter by its edges and save the envelope in which note was placed. 4. When Contact is Made with the Kidnappers 1) Instruct the relatives of the victim to request the Midnappers to show proof that the victim is still ive. 2) The victim's relatives may ask the kidnappers to reduce the amount of the ransom.Agreement: Amount, Place, Manner of Delivery 1) Denomination and serial nurabers of the bills must be recorded. 2) The designated place for the delivery of the ransom should, as much as possible, be placed under surveillance in such a way as to avoid possible detection. The purposes of the surveillance are- a) To be able to tail the suspects in the hope that they will lead the police authorities to the hideout. b) To identify the kidnappers for the follow-up investigation. The question of whether or not the suspects should be arrested, once the ransom money is picked up. would de- pend on the attendant circumstances and the wishes of the victim’s relatives. As much as possible, the person instructed to deliver the money should, at any time, be provided with appropriate equipment (wireless transmitter, beeper, etc.) or facilities to be able to communicate with police authorities working on the case while undertaking the mission and thereafter. 3) The kidnappers’ demands and instructions, as to time. place and manners, should be strictly followed. 5. If the Victim Has Been Returned 1) Conduct the necessary investigation for the identi- fication and arrest of the kidnappers. 2) At this stage, all investigative techniques likely to lead to the identification and arrest of the kidnappers should be utilized.7. The Kidnap Victim's Conduct There are no rules of conduct that a kidnap victim can follow which will assure his or her release or human treat- nent. However, there are some things that a kidnap victim may do which will help to protect him or her. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) It is generally best to do what the kidnappers say. Stay calm. Try to establish a dialogue with the kidnappers. Observe and feel about your surroundings. Leave your fingerprints around the room where you are held. Carefully listen to all conversations between the kidnappers. If the police assault the building in which you are held, drop to the floor and use any cover you may find. Never tell the kidnappers that you can identify them later. Try to delay matters, as much as possible, without making the kidnappers suspicious. Fottow-Up Activities Because kidnap-for-ransom cases involve more than ne act and, sometimes many individuals, the follow-up 'ovestigation requires particular care. Because these cases Senerally produce a large volume of paperwork, the use of Computers, as means of storing, analyzing, comparing andretrieving information, should be considered. Several com, puter programs are available in this effort. : Of singular importance is the timely use of intelligence and any other information collected. Generally, after a kid. napping incident, the police may receive hundreds of anony. mous phone calls from numerous sources. By entering this information into a computer, it is possible to correlate variables that may make it possible to determine which calls are valid. It might even lead to the identification of the caller, - Kidnap-for ransom investigations usually involve many investigators collecting large quantities of information. Be- cause of the volume, it is frequently difficult to correlate data without assistance. Computer analysis helps to identity the areas that require additional follow-up, the relationship between crimes and persons, and wealth of other clues that might have been impossible to review and analyze. Because individuals involved in kidnapping acts are likely to have arrest records or other confrontation with authority, careful attention should be paid to records. Some areas that may prove valuable include: 1. Arrest records. 2. Reports of similar crimes or crimes which may have a link to the investigation (carnapped motor vehicles, weapons, explosives, etc.). 3. Military or police records. 4. Employment records, particularly of the victimized business or individual. For example, in “casing” the location for the crime, an individual may seek | employment within an organization at that location. Accordingly, employees who work for only a brief period, beginning shortly after the crime, should be investigated.5. Motor vehicle records. 6. Weapons and explosive dealers. 7. Businesses that may have sold particular items. 8. School. records. 9. Bank records. 10. Airline records. 11. Car rental records. In addition, other law enforcement agencies may have specific information of value. The Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Police Intelligence Group (PIG) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) maintains ‘files on individuals who make threats against political leaders. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may pro- vide information of imported goods; the Bureau of Immigra- tion and Deportation (BID) can provide information on individuals entering or leaving the country; the Firearms and Explosive Division, Civil ‘Security Group, ‘Philippine Na- tional Police (FED, CSG, PNP) maintains records on fire- arms and explosives; the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) maintains records on fugitives; the Philippine Postal Corpo- ration (PHILPOST) may assist in matters related to the mails; the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) may pro- vide criminal records and assist in the conduct of investi- gation; and the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) may have files of information and intelligence because they have primary jurisdiction in kidnap-for-ran- som cases. On the local level, the local police authorities frequently maintain individual photo or “mug’ files, alias files, business indexes, modus operandi (MO) files, victimization recordsand crime patterns. In addition, court records, probation and parole files, and other municipal records such as utilities, may prove valuable. Records of businesses, such as the telephone, electric and water companies, may also be helpful. Surveillance and stakeouts are important components of kidnap-for-ransom investigations. These activities may require various forms of electronic surveillance, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, automobile locator systems, videotaping and photography. Such efforts may require as- sistance from other agencies. The investigator should be familiar, not only with the use of such equipment, but also with the laws surrounding their application. The investigator must know when a court order is necessary for the use of electronic surveillance. In no case should an investigator use extralegal means to secure information.