A security camera in Indonesia has captured the moment a heavily pregnant shoplifter reached over the counter of a mobile phone store to steal a brand new handset worth 350 US dollars.

The remarkable footage was filmed at the "Metro Ponsel" mobile phone shop in Bukittinggi in West Sumatra province on September 19.

According to the shopkeeper Fajri, the woman entered the business asking to buy a scratch-resistant phone screen.

She then paid with very large notes (bills), forcing Fajri to the shop next door to find change.

"That's when she took a new Vivo V21 Android phone complete with the box," said Fajri.

Footage shows the unidentified woman reaching over the counter, carefully unlocking the drawer on the other side and then snatching the device.

According to Fajri, the theft occurred on Sunday (September 19) afternoon but it was only discovered the following day when his brother checked the phone stock.

A pregnant woman steals phone at phone shop in Indonesia. Her action caught on CCTV.

CCTV footage shows a pregnant woman wearing a mask and helmet entering the 'Metro Ponsel' shop in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra province, on Sunday, September 19.

She went to the shopkeeper to buy a scratch-resistant phone screen.

Fajri, the shopkeeper, said that when he put the anti-scratch on, the woman was pacing around the shop looking for a phone case, while asking why he was keeping the shop alone, which was usually stand guard together.

The buyer then pays for the anti-scratch in large denominations of 50,000 rupiah. After that, she unlocked the storefront as the shopkeeper went to the cashier to get change.

"I went out to the shop next door to exchange small money as no change at the cashier. That's when she took a new Vivo V21 Android phone complete with the box. The phone price was about Rp5 million," Fajri said on Tuesday (21/9).

According to Fajri, the theft that occurred on Sunday afternoon, however, was only discovered on Monday morning, when his brother checked the phone stock.

The phone was found stolen by a pregnant woman after they checked CCTV footage.