Information from the past two weeks.
Security Intelligence [October]
Nov. 22, 2025, 8:15 a.m.
"Theft at a concert venue" (Theft)
On the night of October 1st, a man was arrested for stealing smartphones from audience members at a Guns N' Roses concert held at the National Stadium in San Jose. The culprit stole a total of eight smartphones.
"Robber stabbed after struggle" (murder case)
At 7:50 pm on October 2nd, two men broke into a pizza parlor in San Sebastian, San Jose, with the intent of stealing, but were quickly discovered and fled. As one of the perpetrators fled, he attempted to stab an American pastor and a Costa Rican construction worker who were in the yard of an adjacent church, but after a scuffle, he was stabbed to death.
"Discovery of an unidentified male body" (murder case)
At 1:00 pm on October 5th, the body of a man was discovered in the city of Aseri. The body had signs of torture and wounds, and was partially burned.
"29-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
At midnight on October 8th, a 29-year-old man was shot and killed in a slum in Alajuelita. The victim was walking down the street when he was approached and shot by two men. A 31-year-old man was arrested the following day, the 9th.
"65-year-old man shot dead" (murder case)
At 3:00 pm on October 15th, a shooting occurred in the city of Hatillo, leaving a 65-year-old man shot and killed. Two other people were also injured, but details are unknown.
"Three dead in shooting incident" (murder)
On the night of October 18th, a shooting occurred in San Sebastian, San Jose, and three people were shot and taken to the hospital, but all died shortly thereafter.
Limon Province: 72-year-old man shot dead (murder case)
In the early hours of October 8th, a 72-year-old man was shot and killed inside his home in Matama, Limon City. A neighbor heard gunshots but was too scared to go outside. A few hours later, he noticed that the front door to the victim's house was open, and when he went inside, he discovered the victim's body.
"53-year-old woman murdered" (murder case)
At 11:40 a.m. on October 9th, a 53-year-old woman was killed by a 33-year-old woman near an elementary school in Guasimo. The murder occurred after an argument between the children of both women.
Five members of a criminal organisation arrested
On October 14, five suspects were arrested in the city of Limon in connection with a murder that occurred on May 24. The five arrested are said to be members of the Limon crime group LaH and self-proclaimed "children of al-Qaeda."
"Domestic violence against a female lover" (assault case)
On October 18th, a 22-year-old woman was attacked with stones and knives by her boyfriend in Cahuita, Talamanca. Police are investigating the incident as a femicide, and the boyfriend has been arrested.
"Container loaded with 3 kilograms of cocaine discovered" (drug-related case)
On October 19th, 3 kilograms of cocaine was placed in a container stolen from the APM Terminal in Limon, and the container was returned to the location from which it was stolen. However, the cocaine was discovered and the driver who transported the container was arrested.
Puntarenas Province: "Boat loaded with marijuana discovered" (drug-related case)
On October 14, 1,249 packets of marijuana were found on a boat 170 kilometers off the coast of Golfito. Three Nicaraguan men on board were arrested.
"Public Security Police Officer Shot" (Shooting Incident)
On October 24th, a security police officer was shot and injured by two men on a motorbike while delivering documents in the city of Matina. Subsequent investigation revealed that the perpetrator was a 17-year-old boy, who was arrested on the 31st. The minor was part of a group known as "Tan" that committed drug smuggling and murder.
"35-year-old woman's body discovered" (murder case)
On October 26th, the body of a 35-year-old woman was found at a guesthouse in Rio Claro, Golfito City. The victim showed signs of strangulation and assault, and bloodstains were found on the bed. The victim's ex-boyfriend had been renting and living at the guesthouse for the past three months. The suspect, the ex-boyfriend, fled to Panama, but was arrested there.
Alajuela Department: "Two suspects arrested for stealing household goods" (robbery case)
At 12:45 AM on October 4th, police responded to a call from a neighbor at a home in Rio Curto City, where they discovered two adults and two minors tied up inside the house and rescued them. The perpetrators had been loading belongings into a car, but fled upon seeing the police. Of the four members of the group, only two escaped on a motorcycle and were subsequently arrested. The victim's wallet and smartphone were seized from the perpetrators.
"Missing woman's body discovered" (murder case)
On October 15th, the body of a 53-year-old woman who had been missing since September 26th was discovered on a livestock farm in San Carlos City. A 29-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman, and a 44-year-old woman who were close friends of the victim were arrested. The man sold the victim's car and made off with 400,000 colones. The two women, father and daughter, were also arrested on suspicion of destroying evidence.
"Arrest of leader of loan shark group"
On October 16th, six members of a group that had been violently collecting loans from a loan shark were arrested in the city of Orotina. The leader was a 21-year-old man who took over the loan shark business after his stepfather was arrested in April on suspicion of murdering his girlfriend and her friend.
●Carthage Prefecture: "Shooting at female lover" (shooting incident)
At midnight on October 14th, a 30-year-old woman was shot and seriously injured after an argument with her boyfriend at a home in Orehamno. The assailant fled but was arrested.
Heredia Prefecture: "Discovery of a decomposing body" (murder case)
On October 5th, the body believed to be that of a 71-year-old man who had been missing since September 12th was discovered on a farm in Vara Blanca, Sarapiqui. The body had been buried and was in a state of decomposition. On October 2nd, a 29-year-old woman was arrested for receiving and selling the victim's belongings.
"Simultaneous crackdown on fraud groups" (fraud case)
On October 8th, raids were conducted in three locations: San Rafael, Palmares in Alajuela province, and San Jose in San Jose province, resulting in the arrest of two Costa Ricans and one Chinese national. The group is said to have sent a large number of short messages to smartphones, deceiving victims into thinking that they had accumulated points and that in order to use them they needed to enter personal information on another website, and then used the entered credit card information to make purchases. The total amount of damage is said to exceed 60 million colones.
"Arrest of a group of thefts targeting tourists" (Theft case)
On October 27th, two members of a group that had been targeting tourists and stealing their belongings were arrested in Heredia city. The two men would spot tourists from the airport, follow them in their car, wait for an opportunity to puncture their tires, and steal their belongings from the car while the tourists were talking to the tire shop staff.
[Contact Information]
Consular Section, Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica
Tel: (506)2232-1255 Fax: (506)2231-3140
E-mail: japon-consulado@sj.mofa.go.jp
URL: https://www.cr.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_ja/index.html
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End
Caution (regarding the increasing number of robberies involving strangulation)
Nov. 13, 2025, 2:30 a.m.
There have been a number of cases of robbers approaching victims from behind and strangling them with one arm in the Centro district of San José (especially around Hospital, Merced, and Coca-Cola), resulting in the theft of smartphones, cash, and other items. This method can even result in the victim losing consciousness. According to the Judicial Police (OIJ), the most common times for these robbery are between 4:00 AM and 6:00 PM and between 8:00 PM, with particular caution required on weekends and at night.
If you are a victim of a scam, please comply with the perpetrator's demands without resisting and file a report immediately afterwards. This will allow for focused patrols and surveillance camera analysis, etc.
Also, when traveling at night, be sure to travel by car rather than on foot, and be careful not to become a victim of crime by showing caution behind you.
[Contact Information]
Consular Section, Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica
Tel: (506)2232-1255 Fax: (506)2231-3140
E-mail: embjapon@sj.mofa.go.jp
URL: http://www.cr.emb-japon.go.jp/japones/index-j.html
*If you have registered for TabiRegi and would like to stop receiving emails, please follow the procedure to stop receiving emails from the URL below.
URL: https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/tabireg/simple/delete
