A local shop owner in Dewsbury is being hailed for his quick thinking after security footage captured the moment he remotely locked a would-be thief inside his store, leading to a frantic and failed escape attempt.
Afzal Adam, owner of Phone Market, was working behind the counter when a man entered the shop posing as a customer. The individual expressed interest in a high-end smartphone, but the situation took a sudden turn once the device was in his hands.
As seen in the now-viral CCTV footage, the suspect grabbed the phone and bolted toward the exit. However, he didn’t realize that Adam had already sensed something was off. Before the thief could reach the handle, Adam pressed a remote electromagnetic lock located behind the counter.
The suspect is seen pulling violently at the door, only to find it completely immobilized. Realizing he was trapped, the man’s demeanor shifted from aggression to desperation.
“He thought he was going to have a quick getaway,” Adam told reporters. “But I have a button for that. He was looking at me, looking at the door, and realized there was nowhere to go.”
In a surprising twist, once the suspect realized the police were likely on their way and the door wouldn’t budge, he returned to the counter. The footage shows him handing the phone back to Adam, appearing to plead for his release.
Later, Phone Market posted a message on social media in which they forgave the thief and offered help.