This is the moment a shadowy image some are claiming is ‘Death’ seems to appear as two robbers mug people at a petrol station before being shot dead by cops a short while later.

Also known as the Grim Reaper, the shadowy figure some say they can see here reportedly turns up when somebody is about to die in order to harvest their soul.

And while officials shared the image to try to track down the doomed robbers, it was the ectoplasm-like shape that attracted all the interest when it was spotted by spooked viewers.

The ghostly presence is seen flickering on the left of the CCTV footage of the muggings at the petrol station in the municipality of Moju in the Brazilian state of Para on New Year’s Eve.

The footage shows how two men pull up on a motorbike before the man riding pillion gets off, and both assailants mug the three men waiting by the pumps, at least two of whom are uniformed staff.

The victims are seen raising their hands in the air as the two muggers snatch their belongings, and one of the assailants is also seen rummaging around a petrol pump in search of more goods to make off with.

All the while, the ghostly presence is seen flickering to the side as if watching over the drama from outside the convenience store before both men ride away with their loot.

Some speculated that the shadowy form caught here on film was the Grim Reaper, also known as the Angel of Death or simply ‘Death’, who appears shortly before people die to claim their souls.

The speculation was reinforced by the fact that the two muggers did, indeed, meet their end in a New Year’s Day shootout with officers from the Military Police (Brazil’s preventive police force).

The cops managed to locate the suspects, who apparently refused to surrender, and a shootout ensued, which ended badly for the muggers.

Following the shootout, the officers took the injured men to a health centre. However, they both succumbed to their wounds in hospital.

Netizen ‘Cinthia Campos’ was one of many that commented on the video, after it was posted online, writing: “It’s ‘Death’ lurking behind them.”