Eighteen British tourists were held up by a group of men wielding automatic rifles and a grenade on Saturday night, just minutes after arriving in Rio de Janeiro.
The tour group was heading from Rio's International Airport to one of its most upmarket hotels, Le Meridien Copacabana, when their bus was forced to stop by a black Mitsubishi pick-up truck.
A police spokesman said that three thieves forced their way on to the bus, armed with pistols, at least one hand grenade and, according to some media reports, automatic rifles, before fleeing towards the city centre with the group's possessions.
This is the second time this year that a large group of British tourists has been targeted by armed robbers in almost identical circumstances.
Mario da Silveira, a representative of the Secretariat of Public Security, said there was no evidence to suggest the attacks were connected.
"Rio de Janeiro is a safe city. It is a city like any in the world. You get robberies in London, Paris and Rome," he said. "What about the Brazilian who died in London? The British police have covered that up until now."
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