Photographer Rio Thieves

News Corp. photographer Brett Costello was robbed of a carry-on luggage case full of expensive equipment – $40,000 worth to be exact – on the busy cafe district on Ipanema Beach in the middle of the day. As you can see in the CCTV footage, the brazen theft at Kraft Cafe reveals that Costello was targeted by a three-person gang of thieves. There were two men in business clothes and a blonde woman who scoped Costello out earlier in the day as he took photos. Continue reading to see what happened when the photographer spotted one of the thieves.

“Security experts warn tourists and Games visitors to avoid interacting with random locals and remain vigilant at all times. The footage shows a woman start a conversation in Portuguese with Costello who is standing near the entrance of the coffee shop with his camera bag at his side. As she speaks and waves her arms around, two men are seen inching towards the bag. The first attempt to grab the bag is foiled when Brett notices his bag has moved slightly but the woman keeps talking and one of the men can be seen lifting the bag and doing a runner,” reports Courier Mail.

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A technology, gadget and video game enthusiast that loves covering the latest industry news. Favorite trade show? Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.