This is the moment a gang of vigilantes forces a thief to ‘laugh’ after catching him robbing cables from a shop.

The incident was filmed in the Ghanaian city of Sekondi-Takoradi and was widely shared online.

According to local media, the suspect was caught stealing electrical cables from a shop.

In the footage, the cables are seen on the ground next to the suspect as the gang of vigilantes apparently interrogates and humiliates him.

The suspect had reportedly being targeting homes and businesses in the area for a while and a group of residents got together to catch him.

One of the gang members said they waited up all night until the suspect showed up, and caught him in the act.

In the footage, the vigilantes order the suspect to laugh and the man appears confused about what to do.

A gang member whacks the man on the back of the head twice and he apparently gets the message and forces a weak laugh.

The gang reportedly asked the man to say “stealing is so sweet” and the suspect complied to avoid another whack on the head.

It is unclear what happened after the filmed events and if the local authorities are investigating the incident.