With the taxes most countries add to the price of cigarettes, he may have considered that a good haul!

I agree with you on keeping your guard up, though. My husband and I went to Rio in 2000 and we knew it was risky. I wore jewelry so minimal it wasn't worth stealing, nothing went in our pockets, and I didn't carry a purse or anything that looked like one. When I bought a bracelet at H. Stern it was kept hidden in a dirty sock in my suitcase till we went home. (The irony is that they sell exquisite jewelry in Rio-you just don't want to wear it on the street.) I could go walking on the beach undisturbed, but I wore only my swimsuit and a T-shirt. We had a great trip.

Sure, it stinks that the onus is on the tourist to protect against criminals, but you just have to decide which destinations are worth it.