By Wendy Anders

Costa Rica’s police force is actively working to stop crimes; and thefts and crimes targeting tourists are a top priority, said the Public Security Ministry in a press statement.

Members of a criminal group comprised of several nationalities and with a history of breaking into foreign tourists’ cars in Costa Rica were arrested last weekend.

The robbers were caught after stealing bags from a car rented by two Dutch tourists while the vacationers were having lunch at a restaurant in Lourdes de Abangares, a town which is a point of entry into the country’s northern Guanacaste province – a popular beach destination known for its miles of gorgeous coast and rolling coastal hills.

When the police were alerted about the theft, they immediately set up road blocks and checked all passing vehicles. They were able to detect and arrest the suspects when they found the stolen bags in their car.

The suspects include three men and one woman: Santoyo, 55, a Mexican national; a 51-year-old Colombian national named Cano; and a Costa Rican couple by the names Aguilar and Aymerich.

Police have been tracking the band’s criminal activities directed against foreign tourists for some time, and have been waiting for a tip-off to make the arrests, said the Ministry’s press office.

Tools for forcing open cars were found in the vehicle in which the suspects were traveling. The subjects were unarmed.

The Liberia, Guanacaste prosecutor sentenced the three male suspects to two months preventive prison, and the woman was given a restraining order which requires her to sign in at the court every two weeks for the next four months.

Police remind travelers to take preventive measures against possible thefts while traveling, and to  promptly report any crimes so that police can have a better chance of catching the suspects.