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Chesapeake 7-Eleven manager catches shoplifters red-handed, posts videos

Posted at 1:47 PM, Aug 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-10 18:19:14-04

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Store manager Malik Akhtar is taking action to end shoplifting at the 7-Eleven at 2700 Yadkin Road.

Akhtar tells News 3 that he spots the shoplifters on surveillance video and then confronts them before leaving the property.

"We're all here to make money," Akhtar told News 3's Aleah Hordges. "If you're going to let your merchandise walk out of here, you're losing money."

Akhtar says there are 21 surveillance cameras inside the store, and he sometimes catches up to five shoplifters a day.

"Here comes another one; that's exactly what I say," the store manager added. "I just go in the back, start looking at the camera and I let them do what they want to do."

The incidents are recorded on his cell phone, then videos of the incidents are published on Facebook in hopes that someone will identify the shoplifters who haven't been caught.

Akhtar said once the stolen items are confiscated, the shoplifters are immediately banned from the store.

"When all of this happens I'm not really thinking," he mentioned. "My only focus is to protect my merchandise, and later on I do think that I should've never done that; it could've been worse."

The store mentioned that police aren't called unless the shoplifters manage to get away or don't give back the stolen items.

Akhtar said none of the encounters have turned violent; however, police said business owners or managers should call 911 when they see crime inside their store.