BALI was shaken by a viral report of a suspected child abduction involving an 8-year-old British boy, identified by the initials SEB. The incident occurred on Monday (April 21) in Serangan Village, South Denpasar, when the child reportedly disappeared after stepping outside to pick up a food delivery. The report prompted a swift response from the Criminal Investigation Unit of Denpasar Police and the South Denpasar Police Sector.

Initial statements from a nearby café employee claimed to have seen a tall foreign man, suspected to be a foreign national, carrying the child and placing him into a white car before driving away. As SEB did not return home, his family feared the worst and reported the incident to local authorities.

In an effort to seek help from the public, the family and concerned individuals also shared the missing child information via social media. The following Instagram post was among those that gained attention:

The viral post helped raise public awareness, leading to faster police action.

Following an investigation, officers discovered that the child was actually with his biological father, BJWB. Video footage confirmed their time together, and flight records showed they left Bali for South Tangerang on a Super Air Jet flight at 8:00 PM WITA the same day.

AKP I Ketut Sukadi, spokesperson for Denpasar Police, confirmed that SEB was safe and in the care of his father. Communication has been established with the father, who is reportedly willing to coordinate a meeting between the child and his biological mother if both parties agree.