Israeli Tourists Robbed of $700K in Bitcoin During Violent Costa Rica Attack

A group of Israeli tourists was robbed of $700,000 in Bitcoin during a violent attack on a Costa Rican beach. Authorities suspect insider involvement and possibly police complicity in the theft.

A shocking incident in Costa Rica has left a group of Israeli tourists reeling after they were robbed of $700,000 worth of Bitcoin in a violent beachside attack. The robbery occurred in Puntarenas, on the popular Santa Teresa de Cóbano beach, where the 11 Israeli nationals were attending a social event. According to a report by Costa Rica’s local news agency Teletica, the holidaymakers were ambushed by eight men who arrived in two luxury vehicles.

The attackers, who are suspected to have had police training, quickly overpowered a security guard and forcibly took control of the group. They reportedly gagged the victims and demanded that they hand over their belongings, including the substantial amount of Bitcoin. The exact method by which the Bitcoin was transferred from the victims’ wallets to the attackers remains unclear, but the robbery has raised serious concerns about security for travelers in the region.

Costa Rica Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), the body responsible for criminal investigations in the country, has suggested that the robbery may have been an inside job. Security footage allegedly shows some of the assailants dressed in police uniforms, moving the victims from one location to another. This has led investigators to believe that someone close to the victims, aware of their involvement with Bitcoin, may have tipped off the attackers.

The robbery in Costa Rica follows a similar incident in Ukraine, where a Moroccan man was murdered for his Bitcoin just a week prior. In that case, the victim was forced to transfer $170,000 in Bitcoin before being killed. The perpetrators were later arrested, highlighting the growing trend of violent crimes targeting individuals with significant cryptocurrency holdings.

If confirmed that police were involved in the Costa Rican robbery, it would not be the first instance of law enforcement complicity in Bitcoin theft. In 2021, two police officers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, were arrested for orchestrating a fake accident to steal $1.63 million in Bitcoin from a businessman. Such incidents underscore the vulnerabilities that come with holding and transacting in cryptocurrencies, particularly in regions where law enforcement may be compromised.

The Israeli tourists were left traumatized by the attack, and the incident has sparked a broader conversation about the safety of digital assets in the face of such crimes. As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies become more prevalent, the need for robust security measures, especially in vulnerable areas, has never been more critical.

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