By standers in the capital’s Daun Penh district didn’t have to know the Portuguese word for “thief” to know a tourist was being robbed on Monday night.

Witnesses say a visitor from the Iberian nation was on the back of a motorbike with her husband when a man tailed them and ripped away her purse.

The victim’s shouts for help were clearly understood by those in the vicinity, however, as they cornered the culprit and dished out a fresh helping of Phnom Penh street justice.

Cops came soon to end the beating, haul him away for questioning and see that the satchel was handed back to the European couple.

Nokorwat