Papua New Guinea: Gunmen kidnap Australian university professor in Highlands Region Feb. 20

Event

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped an Australian university professor and three colleagues in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea Feb. 20. The group was conducting a field study in the area when the kidnappers took them. Reports indicate that the perpetrators are demanding ransom and negotiations for their release are ongoing. Officials have not disclosed further details due to security concerns.

Context

The threat of kidnapping is moderate in Papua New Guinea, and such attacks typically stem from business, personal, or communal grievances. Nevertheless, there have been reported abductions of foreign nationals in the highland region in recent years, which can be violent in nature. The risk of kidnapping is higher in certain areas, such as Port Moresby, Lae, and the Highlands region, where criminal gangs operate. The most common types of abduction in Papua New Guinea include basic opportunistic kidnap-for-ransom, high net-worth kidnap-for-ransom, and those related to personal or criminal disputes.