Police survey the scene of the crime at the jewelry store in Shanghai on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. The broken glass cabinet was covered with a white cloth. [Photo: xinmin.cn]

Three masked men robbed a jewelry store in Shanghai on Wednesday and ran away with stolen merchandise within five minutes, causing great fear for customers who were walking by, "xinmin.cn" reported.

The three robbers rushed into the jewelry store at around 8:40 p.m., broke a glass cabinet with a gun handle, grabbed some gold jewelry and then ran away, according to a witness. The whole process lasted only five minutes.

They threw out several plastic bottles filled with explosive substances while carrying out the theft, which left several customers screaming. Luckily no one was injured during the incident.

The robbery may have been recorded by a surveillance camera, according to one of the store's security guards.

The local police are further investigating.