Jewellery thief smashes into shop with a forklift then escapes from the crime scene on a Donkey
A thief has pulled off one of the strangest jewellery shop break ins you are ever likely to see, smashing into a store in Turkey with a forklift, grabbing gold, then making a getaway on a donkey. Police later tracked down the stash and dug it up from where it had been buried.
“THIS is the bizarre moment a suspect smashes their way in to a jewellery shop with a forklift – before escaping on a donkey with their swag.
The jaw dropping incident happened in Kayseri, central Turkey, where CCTV captured the whole thing from start to finish.
In the footage, a forklift, believed to have been stolen, is seen forcing open the shop’s shutters. Once there is enough space, the suspect squeezes inside and heads straight for the valuables.
The thief then tips over a cupboard filled with items before smashing a glass cabinet containing gold jewellery. After that, they can be seen rummaging through the shattered glass on the floor, grabbing as much gold as they can carry before making a run for it.
But instead of jumping into a waiting car or speeding off on a motorbike, the suspect appears to have had a much more unusual escape plan.
The video shows the thief fleeing the scene on a donkey, riding off with the stolen jewellery as the animal trots away down the street as quickly as it can.
Police later recovered the stolen items, which reportedly included 150g of gold jewellery. Investigators discovered the loot buried in the ground, and separate footage shows officers digging it up from its hiding place.
The gold was found inside a black bin bag and included ornate rings, necklaces and bracelets.
Authorities later arrested a suspect known only as M.Ç., 26, after launching a search to track down the culprit. Another video clip shows officers wrestling a man into a police car outside the station.
As bizarre as a donkey getaway sounds, it is not the only time an animal has played a part in a crime.
Back in December, a criminal capuchin was “arrested” after causing havoc in a village in eastern Brazil. The monkey was reportedly seen wielding a huge knife and even stealing a coffee pot before being captured by military police.
Footage from Vicosa, Rio Grande do Norte, shows the capuchin repeatedly bashing a knife against a wall. Locals accused it of biting residents and raiding kitchens during a crime spree that lasted several days.
In one case, the monkey was even caught on camera helping a pet bird escape by smashing its cage against a wall and setting it free.
Eventually, the capuchin was “arrested” and “jailed,” sitting solemnly in a cage in the back of a police car. Some of its break ins also reportedly left homes without power after it interfered with electrical wiring.