Viral Temple Offering Box Theft in Jatiluwih, Police Investigate

An offering box at Pura Luhur Pucak Petali, located in Banjar Dinas Jatiluwih, Jatiluwih Village, Penebel District, Tabanan, has been burgled by an unidentified male suspect. The theft was captured on CCTV and subsequently went viral on social media.

“The case is still under investigation and we are coordinating with the Criminal Investigation Unit of Tabanan Police,” stated Penebel Police Chief AKP I Gusti Kade Alit Murdiasa in a statement on Monday, 16 March 2026.

The theft at Pura Pucak Petali is believed to have occurred on Friday, 13 March. Murdiasa explained that the incident was first discovered by witness I Ketut Ratnawan, who received a notification from a CCTV camera on his mobile phone at approximately 06:00 WITA. Ratnawan then reviewed the CCTV footage and observed a male individual entering the temple grounds at around 00:33 WITA. The footage showed the suspect prying open a padlock, forcibly opening the offering box cover, and removing money stored inside.

After successfully taking the money, the suspect exited the temple. However, the unidentified man returned to retrieve his mobile phone, which had been used as a torch. “The suspect returned to retrieve the telephone that was previously used as a torch. After that, the suspect exited the temple area through the gateway,” Murdiasa explained.

Upon discovering the incident, the witness contacted the Head of Jatiluwih Village and the Chief Priest of Pura Luhur Pucak Petali, forwarding the CCTV footage as initial evidence. Shortly thereafter, they inspected the temple and found several offering box padlocks in a damaged condition.

“The estimated total amount of money in the box was approximately 200,000 Rupiah,” Murdiasa stated.

Following the report, police attended the scene to conduct a crime scene investigation. Authorities have also taken statements from witnesses and secured the CCTV recording for investigative purposes.