Tourists are being urged to stay alert while travelling, with a security expert warning holidaymakers often become easy targets while letting their guard down overseas.
Bali Police Alert Over Necklace Thefts
The warning comes after Bali police issued an alert over a surge in violent necklace thefts targeting tourists across the popular Indonesian holiday destination. Australian travellers have been among those injured and robbed of valuable family heirlooms in the attacks, which typically involve thieves on motorbikes ripping jewellery from victims’ necks before speeding away.
Security Expert Advice
International security expert Will Geddes said the crimes were generally opportunistic and often occurred in areas heavily populated by tourists. “It is relatively safe but, as a tourist, you can’t pretty much drop your guard when you’re out and about. You have to be sensible,” Geddes told Sunrise on Thursday.
Geddes said many travellers unknowingly make themselves vulnerable by becoming distracted or less aware of their surroundings while on holiday. “A lot of the time it comes down to people not being situationally aware,” he said. “One of the biggest challenges that everybody has is walking down the street without bumping into someone who’s staring down at their phone. So, we have to be a little bit more aware of who is around us. The problem is when we go on holiday, we’re there to relax and we drop our guard and we forget that actually we should be applying some common sense as we normally would.”
Global Trend in Snatch-and-Grab Offences
Geddes said necklace thefts, mobile phone robberies, and drink spiking incidents were risks travellers faced in tourist destinations around the world. He said the rise in snatch-and-grab offences in Bali mirrored trends seen elsewhere, including in the United Kingdom where criminals increasingly use electric bikes to quickly target and flee from victims.
Tourists are advised to remain vigilant, avoid displaying valuable jewellery, and stay aware of their surroundings to reduce the risk of becoming a target.
