Van of Oil Workers Robbed in Rio: Daily

By Patricia Maresch, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A minibus and a van with twenty domestic and foreign employees of petrochemical company Odebrecht on board, was robbed on Thursday morning near the ports in Centro of Rio de Janeiro. In the group were six Americans, one Canadian and one Puerto Rican.

Eight masked men in two separate cars, armed with rifles and pistols rammed the first minibus on the way down the Viaduto do Gasômetro highway. When the bus stopped the minivan following behind, hit into it. Two passengers got slightly injured and were transferred to hospitals.

The armed robbers took money, jewelry and watches from at least six passengers, said the police. A spokesperson told the local Globo news channel RJTV that the police believe the robbers had access to inside information to plan the assault.

According to Odebrecht officials, the foreigners work in the oil industry. They had arrived in Rio just two days before the robbery and were on their way to Santos, in São Paulo state.

Read more (in Portuguese).

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