Two bumbling thieves in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district ended up worse off after a botched bag snatching on Tuesday than they had been beforehand.

Cops said their intended victim had just stepped out of a taxi and was walking towards a house when the pair zipped by on a moto and grabbed her purse.

Bystanders immediately gave chase, spooking the thieves such that not only did they drop the bag, they also crashed their moto, abandoning it in their haste.

The bag – containing nearly $200 – was returned to the woman, and the pair’s bike impounded.

Koh Santepheap