Aussie’s $23,000 gold necklace stolen by Bali taxi poser

An Aussie man had a $23k item stolen from him in Bali by a local pretending to be a motorbike taxi driver.

An Aussie man had his gold chain stolen from around his neck in Bali by a local posing to be a taxi driver who offered to give him a lift back to his hotel following a night out.

The 37-year-old was on holiday in the beach hotspot of Legian, on the west coast of Bali, when he decided to walk back to his hotel at around 2.30am after a night out on September 16, according to local media.

He was walking along Legian Road, the main street that runs north-south from Kuta to Seminyak, when he was reportedly approached by a local posing as a motorcycle taxi driver, offering to give him a cheap ride home.

The Aussie man was staying in the popular beach resort of Legian when the incident unfolded on September 16.

The Aussie tourist, known by his initials GHK, initially refused, according to local publication Nusa Bali.

But he eventually agreed after they settled on a cheap price.

The local drove them down Kubu Anyar Street to Sada Sari Alley, where he reportedly stopped.

It is alleged the driver then pushed the bike over so that it landed on the Aussie, causing him to fall to the ground.

As the Aussie struggled to move the bike off the top of him, the local allegedly removed GHK’s gold necklace with force from around his neck.

The rider then pulled the motorcycle up and sped away, The Bali Sun reported.

He was walking back to his hotel at around 2.30am when he was approached by a local posing as a motorcycle taxi driver, offering to give him a cheap ride home.

The necklace has a reported value of $A23,600.

The Aussie reported the incident to Kuta police, prompting an investigation.

First inspector Anggi Wahyu Romadhon said the local was successfully arrested the following day on September 17, after obtaining CCTV footage of where the incident took place.

“Along with the suspect, evidence was secured in the form of a set of gold necklaces and a cross pendant resulting from the perpetrator’s crime,” Wahyu Romadhon said, according to Nusa Bali.

After the Aussie agreed on a cheap price, the local drove him towards his hotel. He then stopped and allegedly pushed the bike on the Aussie, stealing his $23k gold chain from around his neck.

It is understood the suspect admitted to the crime, citing financial hardships. He was not part of an organised crime syndicate, nor had he committed similar offences.

“The suspect admitted to having forcibly pulled the victim’s necklace. The plan was to sell the necklace and use the proceeds for daily needs,” Wahyu Romadhon said.

“The suspect was charged with Article 362 of the Criminal Code on theft with a threat of five years in prison.”

Meanwhile, police are also investigating a theft after several TikTok stars had their Canggu villa rooms ransacked while they were out exploring the island for the day.

Willie Salim an Indonesian influencer with more than 57 million followers on TikTok and his fellow social media-star friends had returned to the property around 6pm to found several items missing.

It included a MacBook Pro M2, iPad Pro M1, cameras and several iPhones.

Tourists have been warned to store their valuables securely when leaving their accommodation and should also be mindful of tagging properties and locations on social media.

Foreigners are being urged to look out for red flags when it comes to taxis following a spate in scams.

Officials continue to are crack down on shady operators with the Indonesia’s National Tourism Board, Wonderful Indonesia, encouraging tourists to use “established ride-hailing apps like Grab, GoJek or MyBluebbird taxis”.