Criminals hijacked a bus in Rio de Janeiro, abducted the passengers and abandoned them in a favela 16 kilometers away.

The intercity bus was hijacked late Tuesday on arrival in Rio de Janeiro and the criminals, who held more than 20 passengers hostage for a long 15 minutes, only released them upon arrival at a favela in the northern Brazilian city after a search. and robbed all the residents of the collective. The bandits fired several shots inside the bus, but no one was injured.

The approach to the bus took place around 10:00 pm and 1:00 am in Lisbon, when the driver stopped at a traffic light on Avenida Francisco Bicalho, a few meters from Rodoviaria Novo Rio, the final destination of the car, which left the city of Angra dos Reis on the 156 kilometers. Three armed men forced the driver to open the bus door and entered, shooting at the roof of the car to further scare everyone on the intercity bus, about 20 passengers who had gone to celebrate the New Year in the tourist resort of Angra dos Reis. .. and returned home.

The extremely aggressive robbers, who threatened to kill anyone who did not hand over valuables or tried to hide anything, ordered the driver to turn back and drive the bus without attracting attention until otherwise instructed. Then, for 16 kilometers, passengers, including women, elderly people and crying children, were brutally searched one by one, they had cell phones, wallets for money and documents, wedding rings and gold threads, rings, bracelets and even backpacks with clothes and sneakers, which were of interest to criminals.

Arriving at one of the entrances to the Kelson favela in northern Rio, the robbers ordered the driver to stop and fled, taking everything they could carry. The bus driver, a 46-year-old man who also had all his belongings stolen, drove his car to the Pena police station, also in the north of the city, where everyone reported a collective robbery.