Malé mugging video goes viral as crime fears rise

A video of a woman being robbed in broad daylight in Malé has raised concerns about safety and security in the Maldives capital.

The video posted on Twitter shows two men on a motorbike overtaking a female motorcyclist and attempting to snatch her handbag. When they are unable to do it, the bike parks in the middle of the road and the passenger assaults the woman, pushing her away, before snatching the bag and fleeing. People are seen watching the incident but not intervening.

A headline on Mihaaru about the 19-second video reads: “Daylight robbery! No one to stop it!” The article also describes another video in which a young man is seen lifting a wallet from another man’s bag.

A police spokesman confirmed to the Maldives Independent that both incidents of theft were being investigated. In a tweet police urged people to refrain from sharing such videos on social media.