(Lima) Peruvian police officers disguised themselves as Santa Claus and his elves in order to pass unnoticed in a district of Lima and intervene there to arrest four suspected drug traffickers, police said on Monday.
The operation took place on Saturday and began when the disguised police officers were walking through the streets of the Surquillo neighborhood. Some areas of this neighborhood are nicknamed “Chicago Chico” because of their insecurity, alluding to the violent gangs that operated in the American city of Chicago in the 1920s.
“It’s Christmas time and having a Santa Claus in the streets doesn’t attract attention. This is what we took advantage of to carry out the intervention, ”Colonel David Villanueva, of the National Police, told América TV.
Arriving in front of a house, a Santa Claus helper, dressed in a red suit with white borders, took a ram and broke down the wooden door of a house. She was a policewoman.
She and her colleagues rushed inside, according to footage released by police. Instead of “Merry Christmas”, the criminals heard: “Police! One more gesture! »
Footage shows Santa Claus arresting one of the inmates inside the house. A total of three men and one woman were arrested. They initially thought it was a prank, police said.
The operation led to the seizure of six thousand small packets of cocaine paste, 104 bags of cocaine and 279 bags of marijuana hidden in the house.
Peru is considered one of the largest cocaine producers in the world, along with Colombia and Bolivia.