Abroad
Thief snatches diner's handbag in Oriental Kopi at JB’s Aeon mall, caught by staff
The handbag was returned to the customer.
April 12, 2026, 12:18 PM
A snatch thief in Malaysia was held down by restaurant staff after the man seized a customer's handbag and attempted to flee.
The incident occurred at the Oriental Kopi's Aeon Bukit Indah outlet in Johor Bahru on Apr. 10.
The company shared photos and a video of the incident on their Instagram, thanking team members who stepped up to stop the thief.
According to Oriental Kopi's post, their staff managed to stop the thief and the bag was returned to the customer.
Man pretended to be on the phone
Oriental Kopi said the incident happened very quickly, catching everyone present off guard.
"The snatch thief pretended to be on the phone, walked to the back of the restaurant, and took the auntie’s bag from behind her in a split second."
In CCTV footage shared by the chain on Instagram, the thief, dressed in a cap and a grey T-shirt, held a phone up to his ear and walked to the back of the restaurant.
Customers were seated, enjoying their meals.
Keeping his eyes on a table of four diners, he circled back, leaned in, and grabbed her handbag from behind her back.
The thief took off running as the startled customers pointed at him.
Video from Oriental Kopi/Instagram
Staff ran after thief and held him down
Oriental Kopi said a few of their team members reacted immediately.
"Without hesitation, they rushed forward and managed to stop the thief."
In photos shared, the thief could be seen pinned to the ground by three staff members.
The restaurant chain said that its staff members "didn’t think twice, they simply felt that they couldn’t allow such a thing to happen right in front of them".
"We are sharing this not for any other reason, but because this kind of courage is rare, and deserves to be remembered."
The restaurant chain also reminded members of the public to stay mindful of their belongings when dining out.
Top photo from Oriental Kopi Asia/Instagram
