Kidnap is not the violent, chaotic, and ungovernable crime that it might appear. Special risk insurers Lloyd’s have developed a powerful private governance system that takes control in transnational hostage situations to safely and cheaply retrieve kidnap victims.
Dr Anja Shortland, Reader in Political Economy at King's, offers an economic analysis of the ransom business in her new book Kidnap: Inside the Ransom Business.
Hear more about her research in our podcast with Dr Shortland.