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Costa Rican No. 1 in US Passports Stolen
The data on the number of passports stolen in
Costa Rica and around the world is not readily
available to the public, however, the
United States Embassy in San José, though like
other US embassies around the world, keep track.
In a letter by Nicholas J. Manning,
Consul-Deputy Chief of the Consular Section of
the U.S. Embassy San José, Costa Rica, he offers
the following information:
- Stolen US passports reported to the US Embassy
San José in calendar year 2006: 1.308
- Stolen US passports reported to the US Embassy
San José in calendar year 2005: 1.417
- Stolen US passports reported to the US Embassy
San José in fiscal year 2006 (October 1, 2005 to
September 30, 2006): 1.309
Manning further tells in his letter that the
number of US passports reported stolen in
embassies in Nicaragua, Panama and Guatemala
are, during the same periods, less than 100 in
each country.
And Costa Rica also tops other US embassies
around the world: Rome, 1.168; London, 1.054;
and, Paris, 1.158.
Manning says that he can go on with the list,
however, one thing is very clear - that many
more US passports are stolen in Costa Rica than
in any other country in the region and that the
number of stolen passports in Costa Rica exceeds
the number of US passports stolen in the major
tourist destinations of Europe (where millions
of American tourists visit each year).
The US embassy officials adds that in addition
to the loss of passports, one has to be realize
that each robbery involves wallets, purses,
laptop computers, luggage, etc. and that the US
passport may be the tip of the iceberg in terms
of what a traveller actually loses.
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