This is the moment a shop worker collapses on the floor when a thief points a gun in her face and announces “this is a robbery”.

The robbery was filmed by CCTV cameras at the Espaco Rubro Negro sports shop in the city of Belford Roxo in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro at around 11.30am on 4th January.

In the footage, the cashier is seen fainting when the gunman points his firearm at her and announces the holdup.

He is then seen instructing other workers to go into the stockroom and bring out goods for him to plunder.

According to the news site Metropoles, the suspect stuffed his backpack full of products and fled the scene. He is believed to have been accompanied by two accomplices.

The shop owner, name not reported, said the man was perusing items in the store for a while before approaching the counter as if to pay and then pointing his gun at the cashier to announce the robbery.

She added: “He went straight to the cashier. She passed out, I thought she was sick. A colleague ran out into the street and I didn’t see the gun. Everyone was fine in the end, but it was a huge fright.”

The shop owner also said that she thought the gun was not real in the images and was possibly an Airsoft replica, adding that it was the second robbery the store has suffered.

The police arrested the suspect on the morning of 5th January in the neighbourhood of Valverde and he was reportedly found in the possession of a gun and items stolen from the sports shop.

According to Metropoles, the suspect’s sister recognised him in social media images of the robbery and reported him to the police.

The police believe three people were involved in the robbery and are currently hunting down the other two suspects as the investigation continues.