Urgent travel warning to Aussies in Bali after tourist dragged by suspected thief who tried to grab his necklace

Published: 05:59, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 06:00, 17 June 2026 Australians on holiday in Bali have been warned to stay vigilant after numerous suspected 'snatch and grab' jewellery thefts. Diego Palhano, from Brisbane, was leaving a nightclub in the popular Seminyak tourist district on May 12 when a thief on a motorbike ripped a necklace from him. In footage published by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Palhano can be seen being dragged along the ground by the thief, who held onto his necklace, a family heirloom. He said he did not suffer injuries to his legs.  The clasp then broke and the suspected thief could be seen riding away. 'I actually ran to catch him, but, well, as he was with the motorbike; it was impossible,' Mr Palhano said. The necklace, valued at $30,000, belonged to Mr Palhano's great-grandfather.  He is now offering a 70 million Indonesian rupiah reward, about $A5,591, for its return. Brisbane man Diego Palhano was leaving a nightclub in Seminyak (pictured) on May 12 when an alleged thief on a motorbike ripped a treasured family heirloom from his neck  In May, a local was arrested after snatching a gold necklace from a 67-year-old Australian woman in Legian A British woman was also targeted last year by two men who ripped a necklace from her neck Mr Palhano, who considers Bali a second home, said the incident has left him shaken. 'All the violence in this… It's a little bit more than just upsetting,' he said.  He is among 10 Australians who have been robbed in similar circumstances along beachfront areas in Indonesia.  In May, police arrested a local man who used a motorbike to snatch a gold necklace from a 67-year-old Australian woman in Legian, a five-minute drive south of Seminyak. The man was later identified, arrested and charged with theft using violence, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of nine years in Indonesia.  The Australian woman's stolen necklace was recovered. Local police have increased night-time patrols along the Legian to Seminyak strip while warning tourists to exercise caution.  'Tourists should take better care of their own safety … avoid travelling alone, avoid wearing conspicuous jewelry, and, at a minimum, walk with a companion,' Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ariasandy said. 'In other words, they need to pay attention to their own self-protection. They should avoid creating opportunities for criminals.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.