The pair posted the prank on social media
Two US influencers have now been jailed in an immigration centre in Bali, where they are awaiting deportation from the tourist hot-spot after they painted on a surgical face mask rather than wearing a mask.
Josh Paler Lin and Leia Se were initially denied entry into a supermarket in Indonesia for not adhering to coronavirus regulations, which led the pair to stage the stunt.
Lin, who frequently posts “funny pranks” on his YouTube channel, which has nearly 3.5 million subscribers, painted a blue surgical mask on fellow influencer, Se.
She managed to successfully walk into the supermarket with a fake mask.
Lin posted the prank video on his social media channels, but it has since been taken down. However, the clip has since resurfaced online.
The public figure and owner of a luxury accessories brand, Niluh Djelantik, shared the video on Instagram, along with the caption: “@joshpalerlin You are such a disgrace to our country.”
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CN38a3SJyzf/?utm_source=ig_embed
In the clip, Lin says: “Did you notice like no one is actually looking at you.”
Se replies, saying: “Exactly, because it looks so real.”
The video ends with a woman asking whether Se’s mask is real. So, it turns out that the stunt was not so successful, after all.
As reported by the MailOnline, the influencers are being held in custody before heading home.
In Bali, the regulations say that foreigners who violate the mask-wearing rule should be fined 1 million rupiah ($70) and should be deported after a second offence. However, police seemingly wanted to remove the influencers off the island as quickly as possible.
Bali’s civil service police unit head, Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, said: “It’s only proper to sanction them more severely, not just with a fine but also deportation.
“They are not only violating, but deliberately provoking in public to defy health guidelines.”
The influencers have since apologised on Instagram.
