A bike of any type or kind is very valuable in a 2nd or 3rd world country. A bike which can carry a lot of weight, like a loaded touring bike, would have the possibility of changeing someones life.

Would a farmer steel a touring bike? Extremely unlikely.

A thief would steel a touring bike, just as a thief would steel anything else.

Kids will "fiddle" with things. They might not realy understand or realize taking a little gizmo/widget is stealing (like a cycle computer, pump, bottle).