Police Move Quickly as Local Suspect Arrested; One Accomplice Still at Large Following Daylight Robbery.
UBUD, Bali – A rapid police investigation has led to the arrest of a local man just three days after a brazen daylight robbery targeting a New Zealand tourist in Ubud. The incident, involving a snatched gold necklace valued at nearly Rp 100 million, momentarily disrupted the serene atmosphere of Bali’s spiritual and cultural heartland. While such snatch thefts are relatively rare, isolated incidents involving motorcycles have been reported in busy tourist corridors across the island, often during peak traffic hours.
According to official statements from the Gianyar Police, the victim, 25-year-old Malik Kolcu, was ambushed by two men on motorcycles on Sunday, January 25, around 2:00 PM. The robbery occurred on Jalan Tirta Tawar as Kolcu traveled from the Goa Gajah tourist site.
“We Have Secured One Suspect”: Police Statement on the Arrest
Ipda Gusti Ngurah Suardita, Head of Public Relations for the Gianyar Police, confirmed the arrest in a statement to detikBali. “We have secured one man suspected of the criminal act of theft or snatching,” Suardita stated, outlining the force’s immediate response.
The police narrative describes a two-pronged attack where the assailants, identified as I Ketut Agus (20) and an accomplice with the initials KW, flanked the tourist before snatching the necklace.
A Chase and a Retreat to Karangasem
Following the theft, Kolcu attempted to pursue the thieves but lost them in the local roads. He then reported the crime to Ubud police. “From that incident, the victim suffered a loss of Rp 91 million,” Suardita told detikBali.
The investigation moved quickly. Officers reviewed CCTV footage and questioned witnesses, leading them to Agus’s home village in Tianyar, Karangasem. “The result was that Agus was known to have fled to his hometown,” Suardita explained. Agus was subsequently arrested at his residence.
However, the operation did not net both suspects. Suardita noted the escape of the second individual: “While committing the theft in the Ubud area, he was with his friend, but this KW managed to escape when our team arrived at his house.”
Legal Process Underway for Apprehended Suspect
Agus now faces formal charges at the Ubud Police Station under Indonesia’s revised Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of nine years’ imprisonment for such offenses.
The swift police action demonstrates the structured security response active within Bali’s major tourist zones. While violent crime rates remain low, this incident serves as a reminder of a universal travel tenet: maintaining basic situational awareness and securing valuables is as essential in Bali as it is in any destination around the world.
