New Zealand Athlete, Jason Lee claims he was kidnapped by men in police uniform and forced to withdraw money from ATMs.
Jason Lee, boyfriend of New Zealand journalist tweeted:
What did you guys get up to yesterday?
I got kidnapped. Go Olympics!#Rio2016— Jason Lee (@jasonleejitsu) July 24, 2016
Lee further elaborated, said he was kidnapped by people in uniforms not random people with guns. Adding, “I was threatened with arrest if I did not get in their private car and accompany them to two ATMs to withdraw a large sum of money for a bribe.
“I’m not sure what’s more depressing, the fact this stuff is happening to foreigners so close to the Olympic Games or the fact that Brazilians have to live in a society that enables this absolute bullshit on a daily basis. This place is well and truly f***ked in every sense of the word imaginable.”
Boyfriend was accosted by Policia Militar cops who drove him to two ATMs and forced him to withdraw cash #roadtorio https://t.co/0iUwh6Zjb5
— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) July 24, 2016
In February Lee spoke about life in Rio, where he had been living for 10 months to New Zealand Herald:
Kiwi sportsman Jason Lee: ‘I got kidnapped in Brazil’
8:48 AM Monday Jul 25, 2016
A Kiwi sportsman in Brazil says he was kidnapped by men in police uniform and forced to withdraw money from ATMs.
Jason Lee, Jiu-Jitsu athlete and boyfriend of New Zealand journalist Laura McQuillian, tweeted “What did you guys get up to yesterday? I got kidnapped. Go Olympics! #Rio2016.”
On Facebook, Lee wrote “yesterday I got kidnapped in Brazil.” Lee said he was kidnapped by people in police uniforms, “not by some random people with guns.”
He added “I was threatened with arrest if I did not get in their private car and accompany them to two ATMs to withdraw a large sum of money for a bribe.
“I’m not sure what’s more depressing, the fact this stuff is happening to foreigners so close to the Olympic Games or the fact that Brazilians have to live in a society that enables this absolute bullshit on a daily basis. This place is well and truly f***ked in every sense of the word imaginable.”
In February Lee spoke about his life in Rio (to New Zealand Herald)- where he had been living for 10 months.
“I decided to pack up my life and move here to pursue my dream of being a professional athlete and training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu full time at one of the best gyms in the world,” he said in a Fairfax column about Kiwis living overseas.
“I would have to say the greatest advantage (of living in Rio) would be the weather, which is amazing almost all of the time – even during the winter it’s hot enough to go swimming at the beach. Also the cost of living is much lower than New Zealand,” he said.
“There are obvious disadvantages, such as crime and personal safety but I would urge this isn’t a big enough problem to discourage people from visiting. The language barrier can be tough at times as very few people speak English, so learning Portuguese is a must for day-to-day life.”
According to the same source, Law enforcement experts say Brazil’s worst recession since the 1930s is at the heart of the surge in violence in Rio. A financial crunch in the oil-producing state has put thousands of government workers’ salaries and pensions on hold, police budgets have been slashed and daily announcements of layoffs have added to their grief.
