THIS is the astonishing moment a “jewellery thief” is wrestled to the ground and held in a “lion killer” chokehold by tourists.
Brazilian brothers Gabriel and Gustavo Galindo sprung into action after hearing screams from a man claiming he had been robbed.
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Both black belts in Jiu-Jitsu, the siblings quickly put the alleged thief into a “lion killer” chokehold – a popular martial art move that can, in some instances, be deadly.
When police arrived 10 minutes later to escort the man away, applause and cheers erupted for the two brothers.
Shocking footage shows the man pinned to the ground as he attempts to wriggle out of the stranglehold.
According to Brazilian news, the alleged thief tried to bite Gabriel before being warned to “stay still” or leave without an arm.
Gabriel said: “I put him on the ground to show him Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
“By then, there was already a crowd of people enraged with anger towards the unfortunate man.
“Some angry people started to beat him up, but I didn’t have the heart to let them hurt him too badly.”
“We stopped the robbery, taught the thief a lesson, and kept everyone safe.”
Posting the video online, Gabriel quipped: “Enjoying ourselves in Barcelona.”
The clip has massed thousands of views, with hundreds congratulating the holidaygoers for their efforts.
One user hailed the lads “champions” while another crowned them modern day superheroes.
The pair, who were in Barcelona, Spain on a European tour with their family at the time, later said they were left with a “good story to tell”.
Gabriel said: “And we went back to enjoying our day in Barcelona—with a great story to tell.”
Barcelona is notorious for its rampant thieves who target unsuspecting tourists.
Just a couple months ago, extraordinary footage emerged of another tourist tackling a thief to the ground and holding him in a chokehold.
Meanwhile, aast August, Sir Ben Ainslie was robbed at knifepoint for his £17,000 Rolex in the Spanish city.
Ainslie, 47, recalled the horror as a gang mugged him while out for a meal on Saturday night in Barcelona.
The terrifying attack unfolded when he was leaving a restaurant, as reported by local media La Vanguardia.
And last year, unbelievable footage captured a thief swiping a Brit tourist’s phone just as he proposed to his girlfriend in Barcelona.
Footage showed Charlie Bullock surprising his now-fiancée Hannah McNaghten by going down on one knee – but the romantic moment is cut short as a thug is captured nabbing the device.
Charlie propped up his phone on the wall as the two posed for a picture outside Barcelona’s famous Arc de Triomf, with Hannah totally unaware of what would happen next.
And in 2022, Barcelona FC star Robert Lewandowski chased a thief who stole his £59,000 watch as he signed autographs.
Before an evening training session, the Poland hitman stopped to greet fans outside the club’s Ciutat Esportiva complex.
But one crafty thief used the distraction to open Lewandowski’s car door and make off with the high-end time piece.
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