They caught him when he left work, sent a message to his office and demanded a ransom: this is how the Israeli was kidnapped in Brazil
The Israeli businessman, Moshe Bendak, fell victim to the increasing phenomenon of "flash kidnappings".
After he was released, it was discovered that the kidnappers moved him from one hiding place to another, and demanded a ransom several times.
According to the authorities, what ignited the crime wave was the launch of a new app that allows money to be transferred quickly
Yoav Itiel
07/23/2022
Saturday, July 23, 2022, 12:26 p.m. Updated: 3:10 p.m.
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After the kidnapping of the Israeli businessman in Brazil, the Jewish community in the country admitted today (Saturday) that this was not the first case.
In general, this is a widespread phenomenon in Brazil that has been nicknamed "flash kidnappings".
The victim this time was the man Moshe Bandek Mid Binyamin, born in Sao Paulo who is also known as Alexander Bandek, founder and commercial manager of a bag brand called "Sastini".
According to local media reports, Bendak was already kidnapped on Thursday by a gang of criminals in Guarulhos, a satellite city of the Sao Paulo metropolis with 12 million inhabitants.
He was released yesterday 20 km from the city, after the group demanded a ransom in bank transfers. The commander of the police force established to deal with kidnappings said that Bandek was taken when he left his company's offices.
Kidnapped and released.
Moshe Bendak (photo: Walla! system, screenshot)
First, the kidnappers took him to one hiding place and then transferred him to another.
According to the commander of the force, the kidnappers sent a message from the businessman's mobile phone to his office, in which they demanded 9,000 Rials (about 1,600 shekels), and promised that after the transfer of the money he would be released.
However, Bendak's business refused the demand, and therefore the kidnappers demanded a ransom three or four more times.
The police said that they have not yet managed to catch any suspects, and gang members in the area are being investigated.
The phenomenon of kidnappings in Brazil was known in the past, but recently it gained momentum again, following a money transfer application launched last November by the Central Bank of Brazil, called "Fix".
The application allows the transfer of funds in a short time and at all hours of the day.
On the one hand, the application has improved banking services in the country, but on the other hand, the current crime wave is attributed to it.
After cases where the victim gave his password to the application at gunpoint, and thus made large money transfers, the central bank was asked to limit the amounts and the hours when large amounts can be transferred.
In an interview with BBC News Brazil, another commander in the anti-kidnapping unit of the Sao Paulo police confirmed that law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase in kidnappings where victims are forced to transfer money via Pix.
According to him, some of the gangs are divided into two teams - one is responsible for the kidnapping and the other for the negotiations after it.
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