Advertisement

12-year-old boy steals mom's credit card, takes trip to Bali

By Ray Downs

April 24 (UPI) -- A 12-year-old Australian boy stole his mother's credit card and took a week-long vacation to Bali on his own last month.

According to Australian news program A Current Affair, "Drew" -- who was given a pseudonym -- told his mother he was going to school one morning and instead went to the international airport in Perth, where he booked a ticket to Bali.

Advertisement

"They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I'm over 12 and that I'm in secondary school," Drew told A Current Affair. "It was great because I wanted to go on an adventure."

Drew planned his trip ahead of time and already had reservations at the $600 per night Four Seasons in Denpasar. Once he got there, he checked himself in, telling hotel staff that his sister was coming to meet him.

Meanwhile, Drew's mother, Emma, reported him missing and was "shocked" when she learned where he had gone.

"There is no emotion to feel what we felt when we found he had left for overseas," Emma said.

She quickly went to Bali to pick up her son once she learned his whereabouts.

Advertisement

Emma said her son tried booking airline tickets on his own before, but was denied because of his age.

"We were told that his passport would be flagged," she said, but that apparently didn't happen.

The Australian Federal Police said it doesn't have the authority to cancel passports of people who aren't criminal suspects.

"The AFP will work with partner agencies to review the circumstances of this matter and current operating procedures, to ensure this type of incident does not occur again," police said.

Latest Headlines