KUTA ~ A North Sumatran man, Hisyam, 29, from Medan, well-known as a thief who preys on foreigners in Kuta, was caught and beaten by a crowd of local people when he fell down after grabbing the bag of Komang Armani, 18, around 2am on Monday.

“The suspect was drinking in a bar, before he went looking for a victim,” said a police officer. “After seeing the victim, who was driving a foreigner on her motorbike, he then drove slowly and approached her. The suspect immediately grabbed her bag, but she grabbed his collar and pulled him until he fell down,” he explained.

Initially, people standing around thought that it was just a regular accident, but after the victim explained what had happened, the crowd started beating the thief until he was apprehended by local police.

“From the investigation, the suspect admitted that he has snatched bags eight times, and most of the victims were foreign tourists,” explained the officer.