Israeli tourists tied up and robbed at gunpoint in Costa Rica

Travelers reportedly followed for several days before incident, in area thought to be ‘relatively safe’

By ToI Staff 8 August 2024, 11:22 am Edit
An unverified video circulating on social media purports to show Israeli travelers bound and lying face down during an armed robbery in Costa Rica. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
An unverified video circulating on social media purports to show Israeli travelers bound and lying face down during an armed robbery in Costa Rica. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Five Israeli travelers were followed and then violently robbed this week in their rented villa in Costa Rica, according to Hebrew media.

The culprits reportedly held the victims at gunpoint, stripped them and tied them up before stealing money and valuables from their villa. They were aware that one of the Israelis had tens of thousands of dollars in cash that he withdrew for the trip, Channel 12 reported.

According to a local police investigation, the culprits planned the robbery in detail and had followed the victims for several days.

The incident occurred in Santa Teresa, a popular destination for Israeli tourists on the Pacific coast of the country.

Israel’s National Security Council recently advised Israelis to take extra precautions when traveling abroad, and specifically warned against travel to some 40 countries designated at moderate or high threat level. Costa Rica is not on the list.

An unverified video shared on social media showed the victims tied up and lying face down during the robbery. The account that shared the video said in the post that they were being forced to lie on their stomachs, “as they do with prisoners in Gaza.”

A source familiar with the incident told Channel 12 that the area is usually relatively safe and quiet, but that the robbers had been informed of how much money was in the home and “decided to rob them at any cost.” The source added that some of the Israelis tried to resist.

The Israeli consul in Costa Rica has been updated on the details of the case and is in contact with the victims and their families as well as local law enforcement, the report said.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was aware of the incident and was handling it.

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