Greek Australian robbed in Mexico armed bus hijack – Ελληνοαυστραλέζα θύμα ληστείας στο Μεξικό

Feb 10, 2013 @ 14:22

Two Australian university students, Eva Antoniou and her friend Olivia Gallo, were robbed of cash and valuables, when two armed hijackers attacked the local bus they were travelling with in Mexico. The two Melbourne’s Latrobe University students, both aged 20, were backpacking across Central America, when they were caught up in a dramatic bus hijack, while travelling from the beachside resort town of Zihuatanejo to Mexico City, last weekend. The men, armed with handguns and machine guns, had created a roadblock, forcing the bus to divert from the main highway and drive down a rural road for several kilometres. As the Australian victims said to Fairfax Media, they felt helpless as the only tourists on the bus, being unable to understand the demands of the hijackers. Ms Gallo and Ms Antoniou said their goodbyes, as they found themselves at gunpoint.
When the hijackers ordered bus driver stop, they shouted at the passengers and some got off the bus. Ms Gallo and Ms Antoniou remained in their seats, until one of the men pointed a gun at their heads and shouted and gestured for them to get off the bus.
After robbing each passenger, the two hijackers herded the travellers into the middle of nowhere while they raided the bus.
The two Australians were robbed of cash, bags and valuables, and only by begging the hijackers they were able to take back their passports.
As Melbourne students said to Fairfax Media, it was the first time during a five-week trip to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, that the two of them felt unsafe.
According to Australian government travel warnings, it is advised to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico overall, because of high levels of violent crime and drug-related violence. The travel advice also reads that Mexico has a high crime rate, with crimes often occurring in popular tourist destinations and beach resorts.
Source: The Age