Three Brunei nationals were arrested in West Java, Indonesia, last Thursday after a botched attempt to hypnotize and rob a local woman.
Herlinawati, a 53-year-old housewife from Depok city, was on her way home when three men approached her and tried to hypnotize her, the Borneo Bulletin reported.
She said she was approached by the three, who tapped her back and put her into a state of subconsciousness. After being hypnotized she followed the men and entered a car.
Local police chief Bronet Kompol said the three told her they were from Brunei and wanted to exchange some foreign currency. They also told her they could double the money she has.
The woman unknowingly gave them the two gold rings and watch she was wearing. Then the three men told her that her items would be returned when she gave them the rest of her valuables at home. They then drove to the woman’s house.
However, the plan came unstuck when one of Herlinawati’s children patted her on the back, which prompted her to snap out of the trance and scream. Police in the area quickly arrested the three and took them to a security post.