Everyone wants a piece of Banksy’s art, but this shady-looking fellow apparently didn’t want to cough up the dough to buy it.

In the early hours of Sunday morning last weekend (June 10), this chap waltzed into an art exhibit in Toronto, Canada and casually stole a Banksy print worth over an eye-watering R600 000.

The theft was captured on CCTV footage, which the Toronto police released on Wednesday to try and catch the criminal.

Pretty blasé about the whole thing:

One must admit how hilarious the cocky crook looks shuffling into the exhibit like a proper villain to snatch the print.

A close-up of the print in question:

It’s not much to look at, but then again Banksy isn’t out here to make glamorous pieces – remember Dismaland?

According to VICE, “Trolley Hunters” was hanging at an exhibit in west Toronto called The Art of Banksy, which opened earlier this week and is running until early July. The exhibit, which Banksy hasn’t sanctioned or endorsed, consists of a reported R469 million worth of the elusive artist’s work.

Well, the figure’s dipped by R600 000 since the theft happened.

People are wondering if it’s the organisers pulling a publicity stunt. Perhaps they’re daring people to steal Banksy’s art for keeps like it was once done before.

Maybe it was Banksy himself, who could have walked in and grabbed the print, in protest or for some other unknown reason.

It’s a proper whodunnit, this mystery.

All we know is, the culprit is pretty ballsy to carry out this theft.

[source:vice]