The incident reportedly took place in South Africa and was captured in a video circulating online, eliciting numerous reactions. South African reporter Velani Ludidi shared the video on Wednesday, showcasing a moment when the thieves found themselves grappling with the stolen alcohol they had swiped earlier.
According to reports, the culprits unlawfully entered a store, making off with alcoholic beverages valued at around 14,000 South African Rand. Upon being apprehended the next day, the thieves were still in possession of the booty. At this juncture, they confronted a dilemma: either consume all the pilfered alcohol on the spot or face 'umphakathi,' a local expression denoting community justice, which sometimes manifests in forceful and confrontational ways.
"Thieves broke in and stole alcohol worth 14k. They were caught a day later with the alcohol. The owner said they must drink it all in one go or face umphakathi. The thieves are struggling," the video was captioned.
Social media users have been expressing hilarious reactions to the video, with the majority eager to see the state of the alleged thieves after gulping down the numerous bottles of alcoholic drinks under duress. It remains unclear whether the suspects were able to drink all the bottles of the stolen drinks, and were left off the hook and in what state.