A renowned investigative YouTuber ‘YourFellowArab’ has been reportedly kidnapped by a Haiti gang as he went to interview a warlord Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier in the country, Daily Star reported.
The Youtuber — whose original name is Addison Pierre Maalouf — is of Lebanese descent and interested in investigating the operation of criminal gangs around the world.
Media reports indicate that the kidnappers in Haiti are asking $600,000 for ransom.
One of the YouTuber’s colleagues, Twitch stream Lalem, wrote on X — former Twitter — that his friend had been taken hostage but “he’ll be out soon.”
On his Instagram profile, Addison Pierre Maalouf describes himself as a traveler, comedian, and storyteller.
According to Haiti24, $40,000 has been transferred to the kidnappers.
Lalem reposted the last video of Maalouf in which he is in Haiti, telling his viewers about the dangers of being in the conflict-stricken country.
Maalouf said that his crew intended to travel to Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince but they were waiting to leave in the early hours of the morning so that they would arrive there in daylight.
“All it takes is one stupid gang member holding an AK-47 for one thing to go wrong,” he said in the video.
YourFellowArab posted on X when he left for Haiti: “Going on another one of those trips. If I die, thanks for watching what I’ve put out. If I live, all glory to God.”
