On social media, a video that shows how burglars were forced to drink alcohol bottles they had taken from a South African store has gone viral.
The incident reportedly occurred after the three thieves were apprehended by the liquor store owners a few days after stealing the alcoholic beverages, according to several South African blogs and internet celebrities.
The captors adopted a novel tactic by making the offenders drink the stolen liquor until the very last drop, as opposed to using violence or calling the police.
Some of the viral videos show the unfortunate offenders sitting on a couch while their captors force them to drown bottle after bottle.
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Based on the lumpy swellings on his face, one of them even looks like he survived a serious beating. It also shows the kidnappers wielding rudimentary weaponry.
One of the thieves, who looks inebriated and already beaten, seems to be overwhelmed by his excessive alcohol consumption. Still, the captors can be seen forcing another beer into his hands and urging him to drink it as well.
Concerning the possible health risks, some social media users have defended this form of punishment, arguing that it's a better option than jungle justice.
Remarks have been made regarding the effect that the thieves' heavy alcohol use may have on their kidneys and the potential for serious health problems, even death.
"If they survive the alcohol, chances are they will suffer a long-term complications pahali...ju waaaah...io ni intake ya mwaka at one sitting!" stated Kenyan X (formerly Twitter) influencer @LeRoy. Oh no!"
Another user said, "Community service is all fun and games until these dudes actually die due to alcohol poisoning. Now, the store owners will be arrested for manslaughter. Easier to just call the police on them! This is just sad!"
On his part, user @bysosa stated, "Drinking a bottle of whiskey clean, no ice, straight from the bottle, with dash beatings from men with sjamboks. They either going home forever or their are lives about to change forever."
A group of bold thieves managed to blast through the concrete floor of a well-known liquor store in South Africa in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and steal alcohol by tunneling beneath it.
The thieves stole whiskey, brandy, gin, cider, vodka, and beer, valued at an estimated R300,000 (roughly Ksh. 2.4 million shillings), in a story that garnered international attention.
