Armed Robbers Target Tourists Near Airport

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000553

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR CA/OCS/WHA and DS/IP/WHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CR
SUBJECT: Armed Robbers Target Tourists Near Airport


1. SUMMARY. Eleven armed robberies of tourists near the San
Jose airport took place during a recent eight week period.
It appears one group of four armed males is responsible.
Post approached the GOCR, tourism officials and the AmCham
in support of greater protection for tourists and an in-
depth investigation of the robberies. The last reported
robbery was on Feb. 21. END SUMMARY.


2. Theft, of luggage/purses/backpacks, is a daily reality
for the 700,000+ AmCit visitors to Costa Rica each year.
Tourists are easy prey, and are targeted in rental vehicles,
at bus stations and on the beaches. Post learns of the
thefts, in most instances, only if passports are taken - in
FY-05 we replaced 1,558 stolen passports, the largest number
reported by any FS post. Until recently, few robberies have
involved weapons or violence.


3. Since December 21, there have been at least eleven armed
robberies of tourists, under similar circumstances, on the
main highway west of San Jose. Most of the victims were
recent arrivals at Juan Santamaria International airport,
and all were driving on the PanAmerican highway between 2230
and 0100. Eight cases involved AmCits, two victims were
Dutch citizens and another British. All the robberies
appear to be the work of one group of four males. In each
case, the robbers pulled alongside or in front of the
vehicle carrying the tourists, forcing the car to the side
of the highway. Several of the victims report gunshots
fired at the tires. Once the car was disabled, three armed
and hooded males commandeered the blocked vehicle, and
within a few minutes took luggage and personal possessions.
At least one of the robbers spoke English.


4. The first case occurred on December 21, the next on
January 7, followed by an average of more than one robbery a
week in late January until February 21. We presume there
have been more than eleven incidents. The robbers warn the
victims not to report the crime, and all but one of the
eleven cases involved a stolen passport, meaning the crime
had to be reported. Local authorities indicate that at
least seven additional robberies fitting the modus operandi
were reported to the police during the same time period.


5. From the beginning, the Embassy's Consular Section and
RSO have worked to alert Costa Rican authorities to the
threat. After the third reported robbery, more concrete
steps were taken. A meeting with a past President of the
AmCham led to combating crime against tourists being listed
as one of the top three goals of AmCham for 2006. Our
monthly meetings with tourism safety officials became weekly
or twice weekly, with police and Ministerial-level
participation by the GOCR. The Consular Section developed
an e-mail list of interested parties, and kept all up to
date on events. A meeting with Consuls representing the
Dutch, British, Canadian, Italian, Swiss and French
Embassies led to information sharing, and the first three
listed above strengthened their information sheets to
reflect an increase in passport thefts and armed robberies.
Post's revisions to Embassy San Jose's CIS (submitted on
February 8) are in the clearance process by the Department
to add a paragraph on this particular threat.


6. The Costa Rican police are understaffed, and limited by
minimal training, inadequate resources and jurisdictional
disputes. Nonetheless, they appear to be taking the rash of
robberies seriously, beefing up patrols on the highway and
establishing a task force to lead the investigation. A
senior police official readily admitted that only the
intervention and interest of the American Embassy made them
realize the interconnection of the various assaults, and the
severity of the problem.


7. There have been no similar robberies reported since
February 21. We suspect the increased police presence is
largely responsible, but also presume the perpetrators will
resurface once the heightened security ends, or move to
another locale seeking easy prey. We will continue to push
the GOCR to pursue the criminals until all are apprehended.
While so far no one has been injured, the presence of loaded
handguns makes it highly likely that at some point someone
will be shot.

LANGDALE