People robbed at gunpoint in cenote dive

[chillyinCanada]

Volker, whaddya need a speargun for? You could just use your powerful legs and whack 'em with your free dive fins.

 

[koozemani]

I don't believe any of this. Guns are a big no no south of the border and therefore this couldn't have taken place.

 

[victorzamora]

Shot out the windows? That is really aggressive and violent, takes it to the next level

It's very common in Central America. Citizens aren't really allowed to own guns, but many do illegally for protection. Firing shows that they're not joking....and firing through your window shows they're not afraid of the cops catching them (many of them ARE cops). It's pretty common, but terrifying nonetheless.

 

[kwinter]

Reports on CDF are that armed robbers were breaking into cars and stealing things. Nothing about shooting windows with people still in the car and robbing them at gunpoint. It also reports that they have been caught. Somewhere in all of this e-posting lies a small nugget of truth.

 

[Dive-aholic]

A few years ago the guy that was paid to collect money and watch over cars at Mayan Blue was beaten up and robbed. That happened about a year after our last trip to the mainland. Mayan Blue was closed to diving for a while after that. I've heard of other incidents on the mainland. The times I've been there we were also told by our guide to not bring any valuables with us because vehicle break ins were not uncommon. IIRC he even left his truck unlocked and windows down so his windows wouldn't get broken.

 

[MMM]

I dived today with one of the guys who was robbed and confirmed that it was at tajma ha. He and his guide were on their way to the cenote and heard a car alarm go off, but assumed it was nothing. When they returned from the dive people waiting there told them that the robbers emerged from the jungle, pointed guns at them and told them to lie on the ground while they and the cars were robbed. I assume that any that were locked had the windows shot out but I can confirm that as I am having supper tonight with the diver who lost his wallet and phone.

 

[ibj40]

I dived today with one of the guys who was robbed and confirmed that it was at tajma ha. He and his guide were on their way to the cenote and heard a car alarm go off, but assumed it was nothing. When they returned from the dive people waiting there told them that the robbers emerged from the jungle, pointed guns at them and told them to lie on the ground while they and the cars were robbed. I assume that any that were locked had the windows shot out but I can confirm that as I am having supper tonight with the diver who lost his wallet and phone.

You buying?

 

[MMM]

You buying?

Nope, he had some money he had left in Cozumel and he actually gave me a donation to Cruz Roja with his change! Nice man. I asked him about whether the windows were shot out of the locked vehicles. He said he couldn't confirm that as he wasn't there at that moment; he suspected the guns were used in some way to break the windows however.

He has been in touch with the dive operator he used there, looking for an update on whether anything had been recovered or arrests made No word on that. The divemaster went to the police and asked for a copy of the police report. This was denied. She was told that it would only be released if EVERYONE who had been robbed would present themselves together at the same time, by prior appointment, at the police station. How a bunch or strangers, many of whom are foreigners, no longer in the country, are going to pull that off defies imagination. And smells funny.

 

[victorzamora]

It's very common in Central America. Citizens aren't really allowed to own guns, but many do illegally for protection. Firing shows that they're not joking....and firing through your window shows they're not afraid of the cops catching them (many of them ARE cops). It's pretty common, but terrifying nonetheless.

Smells fishy? Cops being too defensive about info? Take a guess what MY bet is......

 

[daniel f aleman]

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