Authorities in Bali have detained a tourist from Australia, identified by his initials ROM, for allegedly not paying for his meals at a restaurant in Kuta yesterday. According to reports from local media, his case is now being handled by Bali immigration.
I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, who heads Badung regency’s Public Order Police (Satpol PP), told Detik that ROM is the same person on a video that went viral this week, in which he appeared to be peeing while lying down in front of a shop in Kuta.
“He’s been roaming around and went viral with the video where he peed. We looked for him along By Pass Ngurah Rai road, but he showed up around Kuta just earlier this morning. He ate [at a restaurant] without paying, so he was brought to the police station, but then he was taken to Satpol PP because he’s stoned,” Suryanegara told Detik yesterday.
Suryanegara suspected that ROM has been consuming magic mushrooms, a type of recreational drug that has long been popular among tourists in Bali, though it has been classified as Class 1 narcotics, the same category as meth and marijuana, since 2014.
He was initially unable to provide authorities with his passport, as reported by Bali Express, and sat for two hours with authorities without giving an explanation or providing any other proof of identity. Suryanegara said the hotel he stayed in might have held onto his passport because he was unable to pay either.
According to Republika, the 26-year-old is now at Bali immigration, where officers are also coordinating with the Australian embassy.
Stories about misbehaving tourists in Bali seem to be making the news with greatly regularity recently. This past week alone has seen a number of disturbing cases. Last Friday, a British tourist, identified by his initials AJG, was detained after he allegedly caused a scene and damaged property at a Kuta restaurant.
Another British tourist, identified by his initials AR, was escorted to the Bangli Mental Hospital after he allegedly exhibited disturbing behavior on Sunday.
The cases differ, of course, as some tourists seem to genuinely suffer from mental health disorders, while others seem to be running against the wind while intoxicated.
Suryanegara told Detik that his officers have handled three cases this week and said that these types of incidents are a result of Indonesia’s visa-free policy.
“This is the impact of visa-free [policy], it doesn’t guarantee that they brought money along with them. They just have their flight tickets, and here they roam around [freely],” Suryanegara told Detik.
Currently, nationals from 169 countries can visit Indonesia visa-free for 30 days, while citizens of 61 countries can apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) at the airport.
Bali immigration previously said foreign tourists who have run out of money or are pretending to be beggars will be reported and sent to their respective embassies.
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