0 Crime affects 132 foreigners in 2012

Bali Police headquarters recorded a drop in the number of foreigners falling victim to various crimes in Bali during 2012. Deputy Police chief I Ketut Untung Yoga shared the police’s crime evaluation and its annual security report for 2012 with journalists on Thursday afternoon, while introducing the newly appointed Bali Police chief Insp. Gen Arif Wachyunadi. Yoga said that 132 foreigners had been victims of crime in Bali in 2012, compared to 219 people in 2011. Meanwhile, the police also recorded that 58 foreigners were involved in crime during the same period. 

The foreign victims were affected by petty to serious crimes, ranging from pickpocketing, robbery, embezzlement, marital disputes, rape, physical abuse and murder. “Most of the cases involved petty crimes, such as theft but when it comes to foreigners such cases become serious as Bali is well-known as an international holiday destination and security is a major issue,” explained Yoga. Around 8,000-12,000 foreign tourists are in Bali every day. In 2012, it is expected that 3.2 million foreign visitors will have spent holidays here. The victims included expatriates living in Bali as well as tourists. 

According to the police data, crimes affected seven US citizens; 26 Australians; 15 Dutch nationals; 12 Germans; seven Chinese; eight British citizens; 10 French nationals; nine Russians; three Japanese; eight Canadians; eight Danes; seven Italians; two Singaporean and two Spaniards; 16 Taiwanese; and one person each from Greece, Sweden, Slovakia and the Philippines. Most of the foreigners involved in crimes were drug dealers and traffickers. “There were 22 foreign drug traffickers/dealers arrested by the police in 2012,” stated Yoga. The police were expecting to arrest the drug kingpins, who were assumed to have vast international networks. 

Overall, the police stated, 4,593 criminal cases occurred between January and December 2012. “The police could solve 2,957 of these cases,” Yoga said. In 2011, Bali recorded 5,771 criminal cases with 3,553 cases resolved. A number of major cases included trials of foreign drug dealers and traffickers, the murder of a family in Kampial Residence in Nusa Dua, the mass riot at Kerobokan Prison and the thefts of sacred religious items from dozens of temples across the island. Meanwhile, the new Police chief, Wachyunadi, said that security in Bali would always be the police’s main priority. “Security is the responsibility of the police and the entire community,” he said.

source : bali daily