This is the bizarre moment when supermarket workers crack a real-life cold case as they trap a thief trying to flee with a bag of frozen meat.
The thief was recorded on shopping mall CCTV as she loaded her bag with choice cuts straight from the shop freezer in the Russian city of Perm.
But as she tried to flee, she got lost in the shopping centre’s maze of corridors and ended up surrendering to staff.
The footage shows the woman as she brazenly loads up her shopping bag without even attempting to hide it.
Then as she leaves she begins to run as shop workers spot her and give chase.
But as she tried to find a way out of the rabbit warren of aisles and corridors, she gets trapped by the supermarket assistant and hands herself in,
Police say the woman – who will be charged with attempted robbery – had a record of similar incidents. Her name has not been revealed.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement obtained by Newsflash on 22nd March: “The duty unit of the police department of the Industrial District of Perm received a message from a representative of a chain store located on Mira Street about an attempt to steal goods.
“A woman entered the trading floor and went to the refrigerators with frozen products. There, she hid six packages of meat in her bag and tried to sneak out of the supermarket.
“However, her actions were noticed by vigilant store employees who tried to stop the intruder. The woman took off running, but ran past the exit and ended up getting lost in the mall.
“Realising that further resistance was futile, she surrendered to the store employees, who handed her over to the police.”
They added: “At the police station, a 30-year-old local resident confessed and explained that she had stolen food for further resale. In addition, it turned out that the detainee is already a defendant in criminal cases for the theft of food from stores.
“A criminal case was initiated against a young woman on the grounds of a crime under part three of article 30, part one of article 161 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, that is attempted robbery.”
