JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Chinese journalists in South Africa for the World Cup had their belongings stolen from their car by armed men when they were traveling during daylight hours through Johannesburg, an embassy official said on Thursday. The incident follows the armed robbery of Spanish and Portuguese journalists at a lodge north of Johannesburg on Wednesday and has fueled concerns over crime in the security-troubled country just ahead of Friday's opening match. FIFA said on Thursday that three arrests had been made in connection with the robbery involving the Spanish and Portuguese, and that all the recovered items were returned. "We know that the police are handling the situation. They have arrested three people. They have returned to the people valuable items including cash," FIFA spokesman Wolfgang Eichler said. He added that the hotel was not FIFA-approved. An embassy official could provide few other details of the incident involving the Chinese which took place on Wednesday. The three Chinese journalists had been in the country for only a few hours and were on their way to the main headquarters in Soweto for the Cup, the local newspaper Beeld reported citing sources. They had stopped on the side of the road when armed men approached and stole equipment from their vehicle, it said. South African police were unable to confirm the robbery and were looking into the case. Meanwhile, a heavier police presence in the city which is the base for the Portugal team and where thieves held a World Cup photographer at gunpoint on Wednesday has set some nerves, but journalists traveling are still angry with FIFA's handling of the matter. The incident, in which armed robbers broke into the Nutbush Boma Lodge near Timberland, where about 20 Portuguese and Spanish journalists were staying, has raised concerns about security in the host nation, but FIFA downplayed the incident in Magaliesburg on Wednesday, saying its main concern was traffic chaos. "It's simply ridiculous Ralph Lauren Women Hoodie, a total lack of respect for people who have come here to work, to show this country to the whole world," Antonio Simoes, the photographer who was held at gunpoint and had his camera, cash, and credit cards stolen, told Reuters. The small town, about an hour from Johannesburg, had enthusiastically welcomed the Portugal team, with around 2,000 fans present at their first training session on Sunday, but the incident has spoiled the mood, forcing police to increase their presence and leaving journalists anxious. The lodge that was broken into now has several police officers patrolling the grounds all day, and almost all other hotels or journalists are being protected by private security police. "There was fear immediately after the incident; everyone was very shaken by what happened to Antonio Simoes, but the police reaction was good, putting guards at the doors, which helped," Paulo Guerrinha, a reporter from the Portuguese internet portal SAPO, told Reuters. Guerrinha was less impressed, however, with the commission's organizational response. "This has really gone down badly here among the journalists. A situation like this cannot be undervalued, as it has been," he said. "FIFA saying it is more interested in traffic than someone being attacked in a hotel room with a gun to their head does not dignify the institution and organization in any way," he added. South Africa had been hoping that the World Cup would give a boost to its tourism sector and provide a lift to the continent's pride, but experts have said persistent crime reports could undermine those aspirations. Separately, several photographers covering the World Cup have also reported equipment stolen from their luggage upon arrival at OR Tambo Airport, the main gateway to Johannesburg (additional reporting by Xola Potelwa and Agnieszka Flak; editing by Jon Bramley).