Two men stole a game console worth TL 15,000 ($369) from a shop in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district on Sunday, taking advantage of the store owner’s distraction, while a third person, left alone inside, stole the owner's cellphone, according to security footage and local reports.
Security cameras captured the moments when the two suspects entered the store, pretending to be customers interested in buying a game CD. They waited as the store’s owner, Hakan Fettahoğlu, helped another customer, then began asking questions about accessories.
While Fettahoğlu was collecting payment from the other customer, one of the suspects concealed a game console under his T-shirt. The pair then walked out of the store with the stolen device.
Realizing what had happened, Fettahoğlu immediately gave chase, but was unable to catch the suspects.
Meanwhile, a third individual – reportedly a customer with mental health issues – remained in the store. During Fettahoğlu’s absence, the person stole the shop owner’s phone from the cash register and a game CD from a shelf before leaving. The individual later returned both items, reportedly saying, “Brother, you left your phone on my shelf.”
“I was attending to a customer in the evening when two more people came in,” Fettahoğlu told reporters. “They walked around the store. While I was taking money from the other customer, they hid the game console in one of their T-shirts and ran out. I ran after them but couldn’t catch them, so I returned to the shop.”
He said the third customer returned the stolen items voluntarily. “I didn’t file a complaint. I thought it might have been a mistake or a moment of confusion,” he said.
Police have launched an investigation into the theft and are reviewing surveillance footage to identify and locate the two suspects.
Fettahoğlu said, “It’s not a huge loss, but I wish it hadn’t happened."
