Three Swedish tourists abducted in Rio, released unharmed

Three Swedish tourists visiting Rio for the Olympics were briefly abducted by armed men after stopping near a dangerous slum to take photos, but were released unharmed, police said on Thursday.

The security of the tourists will remain a huge concern during Rio Olympics.

Three Swedish tourists visiting Rio for the Olympics were briefly abducted by armed men after stopping near a dangerous slum to take photos, but were released unharmed, police said on Thursday.

The tourists were traveling towards the city center Wednesday in an Uber car when one passenger asked the driver to pull over near the Lins complex of shantytowns, Rio's police said in an statement.

An armed man quickly approached the car, told the passengers to get out, and the Uber driver fled the scene when he heard what he thought was a gunshot. The driver immediately went to the nearest police station to report the incident.

Police was dispatched to the shantytown but was told that the Swedish tourists, who were not identified, had been released and had returned to their hotel in a taxi.

Authorities confirmed that the tourists returned unharmed. The tourists told the police that nothing was stolen from them, and that, once the gunman realised they were foreigners, he only asked to see the photos they took and then set them free.

Drug gangs in Rio's slums are constantly on guard against any incursion by police or rival gangs and usually do not permit anyone to take photos of the areas where they operate.