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Man Who Robbed Australian Woman In Bali Shot By Police During Arrest

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Bali’s Badung Police announced at a press conference that they have caught a man who slashed the tires of an Australian woman in Bali and robbed her while she examined her car. Badung Police Chief, AKBP Leo Dedy Defretes told local reporters that the incident occurred on Wednesday 20th July and that the perpetrator has been remanded in police custody. The man in question has been named as M Andri Adi, 26, from Makassar, South Sulawesi. 

According to the version of events shared by AKBP Defretes at the police press conference ‘The perpetrator deliberately broke the victim’s car tire using iron made from umbrella wire’. Defretes describe how Adi slashed the tires and waited for the victim to return to her car. The vehicle was parked outside the Lia Collection shop in North Kuta. 

Once the driver returned to the car and drove away Adi followed behind, knowing she’d feel something was wrong with the car soon enough. Adi came along and offered to help. AKBP Defretes said ‘When the victim was careless, and the victim was tricked into seeing the rear tire of the car was flat. The perpetrator immediately took the victim’s belongings in the car and fled’. 

Adi got away with a cellphone, a gold ring, and IDR 2.5 million in cash. The victim immediately alerted the police. Based on the report the police launched an investigation as quickly as they could and tracked Adi down to the Mengwi area in Badung. 

Adi was paraded at the police press conference and could be seen to be limping and had a bloodied bandage wrapped around his left leg. AKBP Defretes confirmed that Adi had been shot by police during his arrest for trying to flee the scene.

He said ‘When the development of another crime scene was going to be carried out, this perpetrator tried to escape. So that decisive action is taken’. It is not unheard of for police to shoot suspected criminals who try to escape arrest, though it is uncommon. The police did not give any further information about Adi’s case. He remains in the custody of Badung Police. 

Local newspapers named the victim as Rosemary Thorburn, an Australian woman living in Sanur. She shared a post on her public Facebook profile describing her version of events. In the caption of the post, she wrote:

‘…if you haven’t heard from me or if I haven’t completed a task I promised you. 1 week ago I was robbed…[they] told me to move my car forward…later to learn, over a tack they had planted…Whilst I was at back of car unloading boot bang one opened front door took bag and phone. Needless to say I’ve spent the entire week replacing cards new phone, setting it up, entire day at police station with [an Indonesian] interpreter…it’s a huge task…Also a warning to Bali friends ..Hati Hati’.

Thorburn received dozens of comments from friends. In one reply Thorburn writes ‘Can you believe one week to the day a call from 3 very happy detective…photo of my bag…worthless content…best part criminal in their hands…I am amazed’ in another she presses the ‘amazing work from Bali undercover detectives’.

Above all, it seems that Thorburn was delighted to have received back her phone with precious photos stored on it, and the gold ring which she describes as having ‘great sentiment’.

Others on the post described how they have experienced similar crimes. Another robbery crime that is often reported to Bali Police is bag snatching from tourists who are riding a moped. Although Bali is a safe place to visit, crime does exist. Anyone who is a victim of a crime is urged to contact Bali Police as soon as possible so they can bring perpetrators to justice.

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meremortal

Thursday 4th of August 2022

this sort of stuff has been happening for donkeys years. in the early 2000s i had someone follow me from my friends shop in jln legian raya only to stop and ask directions from a shop owner and a hand grabbed my bag sitting on the passenger seat. sadly i was all packed and cashed up to go to nusa lembongan etc and had about $6000 or more in my wallet. my passport and everything else went with the cash (which was at the time of the australian embassy bombing in jakarta so the bali office had moved to safety). this all turned out good for me (except the loss of the $6000) as a few weeks later my girlfriend's staff rang me from the shop and said some guy had thrown a bag with my passport, cd, reading glasses etc back into the shop with a note "please give this back to your guest" signed John Lennon. i laughed at the note when received but the staff had run to the back of the shop thinking a bomb was being thrown at them. poor things.

another time i was watched by builders next door when i left my villa. although i'd taken the trouble to not only lock everything but distribute my cash (around $15,000) and hid it in about five different locations (some of which i thought no one would have guessed as i am quite creative). five minutes into the ride from seminyak to canggu for my morning surf my intuition told me to go back to the villa. i ignored this - big mistake.

upon my return in the afternoon everything in my room had been scoured through. not one dollar was left anywhere (even in the roll of the blinds). at least my passport hadnt been taken but i bet the lombokian builder left his job that day for a world far richer than he'd left behind!

since the indonesian govt no longer allowed short term stayers to hold bank accounts, my girlfriend now places my cash in her account as soon as i arrive in bali.

stealing is very very prevailent in Bali and Lombok from my own personal experience.

Firechef

Monday 15th of August 2022

@meremortal, what do you expect from a 3rd world country people? Scams from Balinese women are also quite common, foreigners beware!

Col

Thursday 4th of August 2022

Australian women have tires?

Firechef

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

@Col, Of course, how do you think they get around (pun intended) hahaha 😆😜

Karen North

Thursday 4th of August 2022

Do you think the police can get on with tracking my car that was stolen 6 years ago. I have given them the name of the poor man who it was sold to, but still no action.

Firechef

Thursday 4th of August 2022

Happy that they caught the guy, but the police needs more shooting lessons, they missed their mark by a foot, should have aimed higher, lol. Kill a few of these thieves to teach the rest a lesson and crime in Bali will be no more.

Exp

Sunday 7th of August 2022

I would not have placed a bet on that.