Bali Police Hunt For Westerners Responsible For Pharmacy Robbery

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Police in Bali are on the hunt for two foreign men who conducted a robbery on a 24-hour pharmacy on Saturday night. The two men are said to have forced their way into the pharmacy, demanded that the pharmacist on duty give them access to behind the counter, then distracted her and did away with drugs. The whole incident was captured on CCTV and has been handed over to local police. 

The incident occurred in a 24-hour pharmacy in Mengwitani Village, Mengwi District, close to Canggu. The pharmacist, Kristina, told reporters that the duo forced the door of the shop open, almost breaking the door and glass in the process. The whole saga kicked off around 2:30 am. Although the pharmacy operates 24 hours, outside of regular business hours, staff usually serve customers through a hatch for security purposes. 

The pair then demanded that Kristina open the pharmacy. She said, “Because he kept insisting, I had to open it. The door seal was about to be broken. Someone opened it next to it because it kept pushing. I have asked if it’s served through the counter at night because the pharmacy is 24 hours, but they don’t want it”. Under huge pressure and unsure of what the pair might be capable of, Kristina followed their orders. 

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Kristina explained to the police and reporters that she was surprised that the two caucasian men spoke to her in fluent Bahasa Indonesia. The 21-year-old continued to say that they kept asking for drugs and money from the cash register. She said, “Because my focus was diverted, I couldn’t watch over the other foreigner. When he spoke, he was already fluent in Indonesian.”

In the end, the two men fled the scene, stealing two items worth IDR 165,000 (USD 10.55) and cash from the cash register, though police have not shared how much was taken. The Head of the Mengwi Police, Kompol Nyoman Darsana, has confirmed that police are investigating the crime.

He shared that the two men simply walked out of the pharmacy and are not thought to have had a getaway vehicle. Kompol Darsana said, “The perpetrators are still under investigation. Meanwhile, the suspected motive was that the perpetrators took goods by tricking officers. There were two items with a total loss of IDR 165,000,”

This is not the first robbery committed by foreigners in Bali in recent weeks. On Monday, 28th November, a British man known by his initials GTAW stole a custom-built motorbike from the Deus Ex machine store in Canggu in broad daylight. After an extensive search, community collaborations, and the help of social media, the police and Deus Ex Machina team managed to track GTAW down and arrest him on robbery charges.

GTAW stole the Yamaha Scorpio motorcycle from the showroom. The owner of the bike, one of the staff members at Deus Ex Machina, had started the engine and left it idling for a minute while he walked a short distance away. CCTV footage showed GTAW walking up to the bike and riding it out. In a post on social media, the store staff thanked the police and the public for the safe recovery of the bike. 

The caption read, “My stolen bike from @deustemple has been recovered and the thief apprehended. Massive thanks to the hard-working police, especially from here in North Kuta. @polsek_kuta_utara. But I’m sure their work was made easier by everyone sharing it across their social media. It is incredible to see all the communities of Bali come together to help catch this guy. I can not thank everyone enough”. 

Police confirmed the arrest and charge of GTAW and reported to the media that he remains in police custody, waiting for further processing.