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Image: Coco Mart on the Bypass Mumbul. Credit: ST

Three Chinese men were arrested by Kuta police at the Coco Mart in Taman Mumbul on Jalan ByPass Ngurah Rai, Jimbaran, on Monday at around 1.45am.

They were arrested after beating up a freelance driver, I Nyoman Gede Mudiasa, who was later hospitalised. The three Chinese tourists name were aged between 26 and 34 and were staying at the Westin, Nusa Dua.

The incident began at around 1.30am when the victim stopped his vehicle at the Coco Mart for two female Chinese tourists to go shopping. The driver waited for them outside in his white APV Suzuki.

A black Avanza driven by Sunarno pulled up alongside the APV with four male Chinese tourists inside. One of the men went into the mart and began talking to the Chinese ladies inside. “He was trying to pick them up – seduce them. He offered to pay for their shopping, but the women refused. Then they became annoyed by his behavior and argued with him,” Officer Andi said to nusabali.com.

When the victim saw the argument, he went into the mart to try to calm them down. But the big mouthed Chinese man pushed him back. Then the other two suspects, came into the mart and started pushing the driver around. He was hit by fists and with a pavement stone until he suffered bruises on his face, open wounds on his right temple and below the eye, and the back of his head was also bleeding.

Local residents saw the incident and reported it to South Kuta Polsek. They also caught the suspects and forbade them to leave Coco Mart until the police came. After the police came, they arrested the suspects and took them to South Kuta Polsek Headquarters. First Officer Andi said that there was a strong indication that the suspects were drunk, because there was a strong smell of alcohol. Moreover, before going to Coco Mart, the suspects came from a club in Legian. “There was alcohol on their breath. Their driver also stated that the suspects came directly from a club,” he said.

The Chinese tourists will face seven years in prison according to Article 170 of KUHP.