Australian tourists holidaying in Bali have allegedly been targeted by a jewellery-snatching thief on a motorbike while they were walking alongside a road.<\/p>\n
The entire ordeal was caught on CCTV, showing the shocking moment a 68-year-old man walking with his wife were suddenly attacked. <\/p>\n
The pair were strolling along Werkudara Street in the tourist hub of Legian, just before 9pm on August 21, when a motorcycle rider slowed beside them.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the thief reached out and grabbed the man\u2019s neck, snatching the gold necklaces he was wearing, before speeding away.<\/p>\n
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Not quite knowing what had hit them, the man tries to run after the motorbike but quickly gives up.<\/p>\n
The terrifying vision was shared for the first time this week.<\/p>\n
The pair were simply heading back to their hotel after having dinner on the Friday night when the incident occurred, theDaily Mail<\/a> reported. <\/p>\n The man\u2019s gold chain was apparently worth more than $17,000, with one weighing 25 grams and the other 50 grams.<\/p>\n Kuta Police\u2019s Criminal Investigation Unit are investigating the incident.<\/p>\n Denpasar Police spokesperson Gede Adi Saputra Jaya said officers were working hard to find the missing jewellery.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigators have visited and examined the crime scene, taken statements from the victim and witnesses, and reviewed CCTV footage,\u201d he said in a statement to theBali Times.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFurther investigation is underway.\u201d<\/p>\n Jewellery theft in Bali has been a common problem for many years now, but some have said it has really ramped up recently.<\/p>\n Australian travel influencer Samantha, who goes by see.it.with.sam,<\/a> regularly shares information about Bali online and said that Balinese locals had warned her about the crime.<\/p>\n Necklace theft was of particular concern, she said, as a person\u2019s neck could be seriously injured if the crime was violent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one thing that\u2019s really causing a lot of problems at the moment on the island is phone snatching and jewellery snatching,\u201d she said in a recent video.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really, really bad at the moment, not gonna lie. I\u2019ve had so many of my local friends warn me.\u201d<\/p>\n She said it was really important for tourists to keep their jewellery hidden while walking on the street and to keep your phone inside your bag.<\/p>\n Another huge tip was to carry valuable items on the arm away from the roadside in orfer to help prevent potential thefts.<\/p>\n The Smartraveller website<\/a> warns Australians to \u2018exercise a high degree of caution\u2019 while visiting Indonesia.<\/p>\n \u201cTheft, robbery, pickpocketing, bag and phone snatching can happen. These crimes can sometimes be violent,\u201d the travel website states.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful of thieves on motorcycles, especially if you\u2019re walking, in up-market shopping malls, in crowded public transport, at traffic lights, if you\u2019re in a stopped car, at bars and nightclubs, when entering and leaving accommodation – including villas in Bali.\u201d<\/p>\n Smartraveller also advised visitors to \u201ckeep bags and valuables out of sight\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re walking, use footpaths, stay away from kerb and carry your bag away from the road,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n According to local media, bag snatchings are among the most common incidents of theft against tourists in Bali. <\/p>\n Thieves reportedly drive motor vehicles around areas where tourists are known to walk at night and strike at an opportunistic moment.<\/p>\n It comes after a female tourist who was mugged in the coastal hotspot Uluwatu, close to Bingin Beach, earlier this year. <\/p>\n CCTV footage shows the woman walking alone in Pecatu Village on the evening June 28 before she is approached by a man on a motorcycle who sidles up from behind and snatches her bag, according to The Bali Sun.<\/a><\/p>\n