CHARLEROI, Belgium – A group of armed robbers in Belgium were arrested Saturday after a vape shop owner tricked them into returning later in the day, saying there would be more money in the till.
The owner of the e-cigarette shop, who identified himself as Didier, was confronted about 3 p.m. by a group of six armed robbers, the BBC reports.
Didier said he spent 14 minutes trying to talk to the thieves.
"There was some pushing and shoving," Didier told the BBC. "I didn't give them a thing, but said if they came back later I would have 2 or 3,000 euros."
The group left, and Didier called police, according to the report. However, authorities told him they did not believe the thieves would return.
The group did return--twice.
The robbers came back to the shop at 5:30 p.m., but Didier sent them away because it was not yet closing time. When they returned again an hour later, police were waiting in the back of the store to arrest them.
"It's like it was a comedy," Didier said. "They're being called the worst robbers in Belgium."
Local media reported that five men were arrested, including a minor.
The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.