Santo Domingo.- The kidnapping industry, that appeared dormant, has returned with vigor with three cases including the businessman Luis Lantigua, the minor Johanna Aracena and a third ongoing in the San José de Ocoa province (south), as yet identified.

In the case of Lantigua in San Francisco de Macorís (northeast), his captors set him free in the municipality Piedra Blanca, Monseñor Nouel province, after his family paid a RD$3 million ransom.

The country has been the victim of what in Mexico is called "express kidnappings," in which the captors demand an important sum of money the victim’s relatives can pay quickly.

One of the most astounding cases in the last three months was the kidnapping of the daughter and her spouse who worked in Bavaro (east), Yubelkis Benítez, daughter -one of the Benítez brothers accused of defrauding Social Security in Miami-  and her husband Lenin Linares.

This year the authorities have reported five kidnappings, whose victims are foreigners and businessmen; the most recent of which is Cirílo Polanco Silverio, (Raffy), whose captors demanded RD$2 million on September 11, and a man known as Santo Martinez, with a RD$2.8 million ransom.

The Police’s Anti-kidnapping Unit has solved most of those cases satisfactorily, according to official files.

Recently the Police said it dismantled a network of "express" kidnappers, whose victims included businesspersons, common citizens and even taxi drivers.

SOURCE: diariolibre.com