In Colombia, a strange form of robbery has started to go viral in which criminals take advantage of an involuntary reaction of the body to momentarily immobilize their victims and take their belongings.
According to footage shared on social media, the assailants approach pedestrians right on the street and one of them touches or “tickles” the knee, causing the person to lose stability or buckle their legs for a few seconds. At that moment, the rest of the group quickly surrounds the victim and robs them before fleeing.
The most talked-about case occurred in downtown MedellĂn and was captured on video. Although many users spoke of a supposed “temporary paralysis”, specialists explain that it would actually be a reflex reaction caused by the unexpected stimulus in a very sensitive area of the body.