They are cordial, bilingual, ride bicycles, and often wear white polo shirts and blue shorts. The men and women of the Tourism Police, a special unit of Fuerza Publica, are often approached by backpackers and other visitors to Costa Rica with questions about directions and bus schedules. These officers also perform old-fashioned police work such as investigations and arrests.

Such was the case yesterday afternoon in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca in the province of Limon, a beach community that has seen its fair share of crime over the last few years. Tourism Police officers detained two men, one a minor, who are the prime suspects in a case of larceny by threat of violence against two European visitors.

The crime occurred during an otherwise quiet Sunday afternoon. Two 26-year old women from Switzerland were taking a stroll through Puerto Viejo when they were surprised by two men. According to the police report, one of the suspects applied a headlock to one of the women and pointed a knife at her throat, all the while threatening further violence and demanding the belongings of both tourists.

The Swiss women heeded the demands and turned over everything they had. The men took their loot and scurried away towards forest trails. The women notified Tourism Police officers who set up a perimeter to search for the suspects. They caught up to them in minutes.

One of the suspects is a resident of nearby Cahuita, while the other is a 17-year old resident of San Jose. The police officers confiscated and recovered all the valuables. The suspects also carried a replica handgun. They were turned over to prosecutors.

The Swiss tourists had been in Puerto Viejo a few days and planned to cross the southern border into Panama.

Source: Ministerio de Seguridad Publica – Facebook