Lima police disguise officers as World Cup mascots to arrest drug trafficking suspect
Officers from the capital of Peru's Green Squadron used costumes of Clutch and Maple, the mascots of the 2026 World Cup, to capture an individual linked to drug trafficking.
Lima police disguise officers as World Cup mascots to arrest drug trafficking suspect
An unusual operation took place in Lima when police officers presented themselves at the residence of an alleged drug trafficker dressed as the mascots of the international football tournament. Officers from the Green Squadron wore the costumes of Clutch and Maple, representatives of the United States and Canada in the competition that has just begun in North America.
The idea of resorting to these disguises emerged following an investigation that determined the man being sought was an avid sports follower. Colonel Carlos Fredy Alcántara Obregón, head of the squadron, explained that the intelligence team detected that the target was living intensely the World Cup fever. For that reason, they decided that the officers would approach characterised as the official figures of the event so as not to arouse suspicion.
The officers forced open a door in the suspect's home. Following a chase inside the property, they caught up with him on the upper level and proceeded with his arrest. At the scene, they seized white weapons, a firearm and various types of illicit substances.
The case gained notoriety because of the method employed, which contrasts with the country's absence from the sporting event. The Peruvian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup after finishing in ninth place in the South American qualifying rounds.
Source: The Guardian
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)