On Monday afternoon, undercover agents from the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) arrested a 50-year old man from Colombia after he broke into a car rented by German tourists visiting Costa Rica.

The undercover OIJ agents were from the regional office assigned to Jaco Beach and nearby Playa Hermosa. It was at the latter coastal town that they decided to conduct a surveillance operation over the weekend after receiving complaints of vehicle theft.

The surveillance operation unfolded on Saturday and Sunday and noticed a particular car that seemed to have been casing a specific area near the beach. The suspicious black car featured overly dark tinted windows, and it moved around the sector in a surreptitious manner.

According to a press release issued by OIJ on Monday afternoon, the OIJ agents returned to the sector after lunchtime and noticed that the suspicious black car was once again on the prowl. This time, however, the driver resolutely parked near a vehicle that had been rented by German tourists who were enjoying a swim in the Pacific Ocean.

It did not take long for the driver of the black car to pry open the targeted vehicle; he then extracted items from the interior before returning to the aforementioned black car.

At that moment, the OIJ agents had seen and recorded enough to present a case to local prosecutors. They emerged from their concealed spot and made the arrest. The suspect explained that he had moved to Costa Rica from Colombia years ago.

Furthermore, the OIJ agents recovered the stolen goods and return them to the surprised German tourists on the beach.

The suspect will be interviewed by prosecutors and by immigration officials to determine his future legal status in Costa Rica.