Brazil's top judges robbed on Rio highway

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Dec 9 (Reuters) Brazil's top two judges were among several commuters held up by armed robbers then abandoned by the roadside as they were driven into Rio de Janeiro from the military airport, police said.

Ellen Gracie and Gilmar Mendes, president and vice president of Brazil's supreme federal court, were among victims of the ambush of eight cars on one of the city's main highways on Thursday night.

''It was very quick. About 10 bandits surrounded several cars and stole everyone's belongings. I don't think they knew whom they attacked,'' another victim, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, told reporters at a local police station after reporting the attack.

''They blocked the highway for about five minutes and took everything they could from the cars,'' the victim added.

Police said in a statement that the judges' armed bodyguards were following in two cars but were unable to intervene.

Police later killed two suspects in a shootout, but four others escaped.

Police recovered the judges' car and another which had been stolen.

Rio de Janeiro has one of the world's highest crime rates, much of it linked to drugs trafficking.

REUTERS AD PM0502