It was supposed to be a trip to remember for Emily Sinclair and her partner Jane as the Aussie couple visited Bali for the first time recently. Indeed, they likely will never forget their experience on the Island of Gods – but for a whole different reason.
Australian media news outlets reported that the couple was shocked when they found an Apple AirTag device in their luggage. It was not theirs.
In case you do not know, AirTag is a tracking device by Apple designed to be attached to a personal item. The thing is: neither Sinclair nor Jane are Apple users.
Sinclair said that they noticed a strange noise coming from her partner’s backpack and found the device while staying in an accommodation in Amed, Karangasem where they had stayed for a couple of days.
“[It] was found in a front of Jane’s backpack that isn’t able to be locked,” she said, adding that they took the device’s battery out straight away and dismantled it.
They said that the device was made in Indonesia and believe it was put in the bag at the airport upon their arrival.
The couple was supposed to stay in Amed for eight more nights and leave Bali on April 1. However, as they feared for their safety, they immediately called a taxi and went to Kuta.
“[We wanted to be] in a more populated area and [as] far away from [the tracker] as we possibly could,” she said, adding that the trip from Amed to Kuta took three hours.
“We had no idea why or how it got into Jane’s bag, but we felt that if somebody had gone to the trouble to put it there, they were intending to use it.”
Coconuts Bali has reached out to the Bali Police for comment.
“I will check if there are reports filed [regarding this],” Bali Police’s spokesman Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto said in a text message.
AirTags have become increasingly popular among travelers as a way to keep track of their luggage and belongings during flights. However, it is important to remember that these devices can also be used for nefarious purposes if they fall into the wrong hands.
According to Apple Insider, Apple has added several anti-stalking features into the AirTag, including a beeping sound that goes off when the device is separated from its owner for a period of time. This was the sound Sinclair and her partner heard during their trip.
Regardless, the Aussie couple’s experience should be a warning for everyone to check their belongings thoroughly before departing and to report any suspicious devices or activities to the local authorities.
