CCTV shows shoplifters using pythons to distract cashier before stealing from petrol station

14 March 2025, 11:29 | Updated: 14 March 2025, 14:46

Police are hunting for four suspects who used two pythons to distract a cashier before stealing $400 worth of CBD oil from a petrol station.

CCTV footage shows the cashier speaking to two of the suspects, a man a woman, after they approached the counter of the Citgo store in Madison County, Tennessee.

The man is holding up a curled-up ball python as the woman strokes it.

At one stage, the male suspect places the reptile on the counter as the woman appears to talk to someone off-camera.

The man then dangles a second ball python over the counter before the video cuts out.

Ball pythons are non-venomous constrictor snakes that are native to Africa and grow to a maximum length of around 1.8m.

The CCTV footage has been shared online by 731 Crime Stoppers - a non-profit organisation in Tennessee which helps police locate wanted suspects.

731 Crime Stoppers has said the four suspects, two black men and two black women, stole $400 (£308) of CBD oil on 4 March before leaving in a black four-door saloon car.

The non-profit organisation added that the vehicle's boot was "tied with bungee cords" and ended its appeal with: "#moron."

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CBD (Cannabidiol) oil is an active ingredient in cannabis that is derived from the hemp plant and is used to treat certain health conditions.

It can be prescribed in the UK to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

It has also been touted as a possible treatment for anxiety and depression.

(c) Sky News 2025: CCTV shows shoplifters using pythons to distract cashier before stealing from petrol station