The kidnapping of young women has returned to the streets of Damascus amid silence around the deplorable security conditions, even during rush hour when the city’s streets are full of locals.
The opposition Damascus Media Office said that news of frightening new abductions has spread among locals. The media office also noted that the trend resembles cases documented last year, when young women and daughters of wealthy families were kidnapped on the streets.
"She left for school and never came back. We tried reporting her absence to the police but we got nowhere. She has been gone for over a month now," said Abou Muhammad, the father of one of the girls recently kidnapped in the capital. "There is a lot secrecy about this issue. The city is no longer safe, even during daytime," he added.
The media office documented three cases surrounding the kidnapping of women in their 20s since the beginning of April, with one of the cases occurring at 9:00 in the morning and the other around 12:00 noon. According to local sources the women were kidnapped by assailants driving cars with tinted windows.
The third case involving the attempted abduction of a 30-year-old woman occurred when the assailant followed the victim into a building and attempted to drug her, but the plan was foiled by a neighbor who forced the attacker to flee.
A report by the Damascus Media Office said that human organ trafficking is the key reason behind the current spate of kidnappings. Information indicates that some of the victims were operated on and returned to their families with stolen kidneys, while other wealthier victims were kidnapped for ransom. According to the report, a number of the victims were also sexually abused or raped.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
