Couple Arrested by Locals After Stealing Bag from Mosque at Drini Beach

A couple from Purworejo, Central Java, was apprehended by locals after stealing a bag from worshippers during prayer at Masjid Nur Alli in Wonosobo I, Banjarejo, Tanjungsari, Gunungkidul. The incident went viral on social media. ‘An uproar occurred at Drini Beach, Tanjungsari, Gunungkidul, on Sunday, 24 May 2026. Official information is pending from the police,’ according to the Instagram account @gunungkidulaja. Tanjungsari Police Chief AKP Agus Fitriyatna said the incident began when the victim was performing the Zuhr prayer at Masjid Nur Alli in the Drini Beach area on Sunday, 24 May around 12:00 PM WIB. A woman entered the mosque and took the victim’s bag. ‘The woman immediately took the victim’s bag while they were praying,’ he said when contacted on Monday, 25 May 2026. After stealing the bag, the woman left the mosque and ran towards a man on a motorcycle. Fortunately, locals who witnessed the incident immediately chased them. ‘Locals chased the two suspects shouting ’thieves!’. After the pursuit, the suspects were apprehended,’ he said. The locals then took the suspects to the Drini Beach SAR Post. The suspects are identified as S (59), a woman from Purworejo, Central Java, and MR (59), a man also from Purworejo, Central Java. ‘Police then arrived at the scene and took the suspects to Tanjungsari Police Station. They turned out to be a couple,’ he added. In addition to apprehending the suspects, police seized evidence including a brown bag containing documents and Rp 111,000 in cash, as well as a smartphone. ‘The motive was economic hardship, and both suspects are currently detained at Tanjungsari Police Station,’ he said.