Kidnappers and thieves in the Caribbean are increasingly targeting people of Indian origin, reports said.

In Trinidad and Tobago, out of 44 people kidnapped last year, 26 were Indo-Trinidadians and the amount given as ransom was an estimated US $450,000.

In the neighbouring Guyana, according to a recent report by The Guyana Indian Heritage Association, all 18 kidnap victims during February 2002 to the end of 2003 were people of Indian origin.

In case of thefts, 85 per cent of goods or money stolen was taken from the Indo-Guyanese.

The Association had recently submitted a report on the kidnappings to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Meanwhile, officials said money, not ethnicity was the motive behind crimes. They admitted that the kidnappings, now five times more than in 2001, has frightened the Indians.