Gang with past abductions blamed for kidnapping Ohio missionaries

Source: VALERIE BAERISWYL / Getty

According to NBC4i, a notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a Millersburg, Ohio-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped.

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group — which also included some elderly people — in Ganthier, a commune that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press.

The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women, and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.

For the full NBC4 story click here

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