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28 March 2024

Kidnapping is the new vogue

Bound and gagged gives thrill seekers a kick. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Reuters

Thrill-seekers in France tired of the usual array of white-knuckle sports are turning to a bizarre service to get their adrenaline rush – designer abduction.

For €900 (Dh4,499), clients of Ultime Realite, a company in eastern France, can buy a basic kidnap package where they are bundled away, bound and gagged, and kept incarcerated for four hours.

Alternatively, they can opt for a more elaborate tailor-made psychodrama, involving an escape or helicopter chase for example, where costs can escalate.

"Basically, anything is possible. I identify what the customer wants and then try to put it into action," said Georges Cexus, 28, who set up the company in the middle of January.

Once the scenario has been established, clients sign a contract and liability waiver, but have no idea when the kidnappers will strike in order to maximise the surprise.

But Cexus said the maximum incarceration time is 11 hours, beyond which clients might find the novelty tends to wear off.

After just a few weeks in business, Ultime Realite says it is already getting up to two requests a day, the majority from top-level executives seeking an extreme alternative to bungee jumping or skydiving.

Others are hoping to confront phobias, such as one client who says he wants to be buried alive.

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