The sacred island of freedom, safety, and Gods – that's how Bali is often described. Living and vacationing here is indeed relatively safe. The levels of street crime, pickpocketing, and fraud are comparatively lower than in many other popular tourist destinations worldwide. However, where there are tourists, there will always be those looking to take advantage.
Recently, local media reported two crimes against island visitors – a villa theft and a motorbike taxi robbery.
One of the suspects has already been apprehended. The culprit is 22-year-old Balinese resident Ketut Manih, who posed as a motorbike taxi driver, then attacked a passenger and snatched a gold chain from his neck.
The victim, a 37-year-old tourist from Australia, recounted that the incident occurred in Legian around 2:40 AM as he was returning home. Manih allegedly approached him and offered cheap motorbike taxi services. After a bit of negotiation, the Australian accepted the offer and got on the bike. However, he never made it home.
After turning off the main road, the suspect intentionally dropped the bike, pinning the passenger underneath. While the victim was trying to free himself, the suspect ripped the chain from his neck, lifted the motorbike, and sped away, leaving the victim stranded.
Denpasar Police Public Relations Officer I Ketut Sukadi confirmed that officers tracked down Manih using surveillance cameras.
“Evidence in the form of the gold chain and a cross pendant was recovered from the suspect. Additionally, during the operation, an N Max DK 5289 ADF motorbike was found,” Sukadi said.
During questioning, the suspect cited financial difficulties as the reason for robbing the tourist. He also clarified that he was not part of an organized crime syndicate and had never committed such acts before, though this did little to help his case.
“The suspect admitted to forcibly snatching the chain from the victim. He planned to sell it, using the proceeds for daily needs. The suspect has been charged under Article 362 of the Criminal Code for theft, which carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison,” Sukadi explained.
The victims of another crime, a villa theft, were Asian YouTube and TikTok stars. They were vacationing as a group in rented accommodation in Pererenan. Everything was going well until they decided to explore the island. Their day trip started at 9:30 AM and ended at 6:00 PM. In that time, burglars managed to steal a MacBook Pro M2, iPad Pro M1, cameras, iPhones, and hundreds of millions of rupiah in cash.
The bloggers shared their experience on social media, but not all followers were sympathetic. Some users speculated that the incident was staged purely for content.
However, Badung Police Public Relations Officer Ipda I Putu Sukarma confirmed that specialists are actively investigating the case.
“According to the victims' statements, the losses from the incident amounted to hundreds of millions of rupiah. The investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Sukarma also noted that the thieves forcibly entered the villa, breaking all the glass doors. Additionally, there was no surveillance on the property, making it difficult to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Tourists were reminded of the importance of storing valuables in secure places, especially when renting standalone private villas. If there is no safe in the house and taking valuables along isn't feasible, handing them over to the property owners or manager for safekeeping is an option. Moreover, tourists were urged to be cautious when sharing geotagged posts on social media, particularly if expensive items are visible in the photos.
Meanwhile, the island police are preparing to conduct additional patrols in major tourist streets and areas.
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