UPDATED 8.25am: The plight of a New Zealander who says he was kidnapped in Rio by men in police uniforms has stepped up a notch this morning.
Jason Lee said yesterday he was threatened and made to get into a car and get large amounts of cash from two ATMs.
Earlier he tweeted saying military police have turned up to his apartment unannounced - he refused them access.
Policia Militar have shown up at my apartment unannounced. I have refused them access, called my embassy and we are waiting for Civil Police
— Jason Lee (@jasonleejitsu) July 25, 2016
New Zealand's Ambassador in Brazil has been pulled into the escalating saga.
Mr Lee and his partner Laura McQuillan quickly locked themselves in and sought assistance from New Zealand officials.
Foreign Affairs has confirmed New Zealand's ambassador was contacted, and that they in turn contacted other authorities on the pair's behalf.
Doorman just called to say Policia Militar - the police who kidnapped my boyfriend - are downstairs. They should not have our address.
— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) July 25, 2016
Around the Rings Olympic News Agency reporter, Aaron Bauer, told Andrew Dickens he knows Mr Lee.
"Corruption is pretty endemic in Brazil," he said. "Jay is actually one of my close friends down here and I was dismayed when he told me this story, because when you're living in the south zone of Rio like we are, you're kind of removed from this stuff.
"Muggings happen, robberies happen, I've been pick-pocketed, friends of mine have been held up.
"You have a large police presence near a lot of marginalised people, and that leads to corruption happening everywhere because the Police abuse their power for their own personal gain, and Brazil has corruption everywhere as you see with the politicians, so it's kind of unavoidable."
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