BADUNG, Bali – Police are searching for a motorcycle-riding thief after a New Zealand tourist had her iPhone snatched near Bali’s Tuban Underpass, an incident captured on dashcam footage that has since gone viral on social media.
The theft occurred on Friday afternoon near the Tuban Underpass, a busy traffic corridor linking the Kuta area with I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Video circulating online shows the suspect approaching the victim before grabbing her phone and speeding away toward the Ngurah Rai Statue Roundabout.
Kuta Police have launched an investigation and are working to identify the suspect seen in the footage.
“Kuta Police have received the report and are still conducting further investigations,” Denpasar Police spokesperson Iptu I Gede Adi Saputra Jaya said on Sunday.
The victim, identified by her initials MBE, 26, a woman from New Zealand, reported losing her smartphone after becoming the target of the snatching incident.
Police said the stolen device was a dark blue iPhone 17 Pro Max worth approximately Rp17 million (about US$1,000). The incident took place at around 4:55 p.m. local time.
According to the victim’s statement, she was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle heading north when the theft occurred. She was using her phone to access Google Maps and navigate to her destination.
Investigators said a man riding a black Yamaha NMax motorcycle approached from the right side before seizing the device.
“The suspect came from the victim’s right side and snatched the phone before fleeing the scene at high speed,” Adi said.
Dashcam footage shared online shows the suspect wearing a black jacket, black helmet, and shorts. The motorcycle appeared to be fitted with a Bali-issued license plate beginning with the letters “DK.”
Moments after taking the phone, the rider appeared to briefly lose balance but quickly regained control and accelerated away from the scene.
The victim suffered losses estimated at Rp17 million. Police said the report is currently being processed as a public complaint while investigators gather evidence and pursue leads.
“At this stage, it is still being processed as a public complaint. However, Kuta Police are actively conducting an investigation to identify and apprehend the suspect,” Adi added.
No arrests have been announced, and police continue efforts to track down the individual captured in the viral footage.
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