2 French nationals briefly detained after stealing vodka from Ubud supermarket

Screengrabs from a video of the incident, which has gone viral among Indonesians. Photo: Peliatan Hari Ini / Instagram
Screengrabs from a video of the incident, which has gone viral among Indonesians. Photo: Peliatan Hari Ini / Instagram

Police briefly detained two Frenchmen on Wednesday, after the pair was caught trying to steal vodka bottles from a supermarket in Ubud. 

“Yes, there was an attempt to steal two bottles of liquor,” Ubud Police Chief, I Nyoman Nuriana, confirmed yesterday.

Nuriana said the incident took place on Wednesday evening, when the men – one of whom has been identified as Joassard Sthepane Christian Jean Luc by local media outlets – entered the supermarket together. Police said Joassard grabbed the bottles, then put them inside a tote bag without making a payment. 

According to authorities, the stolen beverages were worth IDR3.4 million (US$240). 

However, a staff identified as I Wayan Gede Widiadnyana had reportedly witnessed the theft attempt. The foreigners were then stopped for a search, caught red-handed, and police were called to the scene.

A video of police arriving to the scene has gone viral on various social media platforms. The two French nationals appeared to be sitting on the steps of the supermarket while they were handcuffed together, as they are surrounded by authorities and others who appear to be local residents. 

“[Only] one of them had stolen. But they’ve made peace, a payment was made and they [also] made a statement,” Nuriana explained, adding that the foreigners had promised to not repeat their mistake. 

Read more news and updates from Bali here.



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