Internal Security forces announced the arrest of a man suspected of kidnapping a girl in the northern Aleppo countryside on Tuesday, October 6, following tensions sparked by the abduction.
Security forces said they were continuing to question the detainee to establish the girl’s whereabouts and the full circumstances of the case before taking action against him.
The Aleppo countryside witnessed tensions and armed gatherings after the girl was abducted at dawn. A security operation led to the arrest of suspects and brought the tensions to an end.
Armed men from Qabtan al-Jabal (western Aleppo countryside, northern Syria) were seen gathering at the entrance to Nubl, demanding the kidnapped girl’s release.
The group threatened to storm the town if the girl was not returned.
A man speaking on behalf of the group gathered outside Nubl said the kidnappers had demanded a $50,000 ransom. He said audio recordings contained threats from the group holding her.
Internal Security forces reinforced their deployment around Qabtan al-Jabal and Nubl to contain tensions and maintain security and stability, according to the official Aleppo Security Correspondent page.
The page said security forces carried out raids and detained several suspects, stressing that circulating information about the girl’s whereabouts was inaccurate.
Videos showed convoys leaving Qabtan al-Jabal for Nubl following reports of the kidnapping.
According to the local Qabtan al-Jabal Media Office page, preliminary information indicated that the girl’s family had previously received threats from a Nubl resident to abduct one of their children.
The page published a video showing security officials promising to arrest those responsible. They announced that suspects had been detained and urged people to pursue legal channels and “trust the state.”
Kidnappings Continue Despite Limited Security Improvements
Despite a relative improvement in security, kidnappings continue on a limited scale, while weapons remain widespread among civilians.
Syria’s security authorities are pursuing kidnapping networks and regularly announce arrests of “gangs” involved in abductions for extortion and financial gain.
On March 30, the Ministry of Interior announced that it had dismantled two cells it described as “criminal” and “dangerous.” The cells operated in Aleppo city and its countryside, carrying out organized kidnappings for ransoms ranging from $15,000 to $235,000 per case.
The ministry said the security operation was based on “precise intelligence and close monitoring on the ground.”
According to the ministry, investigations showed that members of the two cells had carried out numerous kidnappings from the fall of the regime until their arrest. It described their activities as “systematic criminal activity” aimed at undermining security and stability and spreading chaos.
The ministry said the findings revealed that members of these networks had previous ties to the former Syrian regime, reflecting the cells’ “organized criminal” nature and backgrounds.
Syria ranks first among Arab countries on the Numbeo database’s Crime Index, with a score of 68.1.
It ranks second among Asian countries, behind Afghanistan, and eighth globally among the 147 countries included in the assessment.
Numbeo is one of the world’s largest databases assessing crime and safety levels in countries worldwide, measuring rates of intentional homicide, burglary, robbery, rape, and other forms of crime.