Police dress as World Cup mascots for drug raid

Police in Peru adopted an unusual strategy to crack down on drug trafficking by disguising themselves as the official mascots of the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a raid in the capital, Lima.

A video shared on the police’s official TikTok account showed officers dressed as Clutch the Bald Eagle and Maple the Moose using a battering ram to force their way through a gate before arresting a suspect.

The footage also showed officers recovering packets of suspected drugs and a firearm during the operation.

The police captioned the video: “World Cup Mode: Operation ends with the fall of ‘Pichichi.'”

Speaking on the operation, Colonel Carlos Fredy Alcántara Obregón, head of the police’s Green Squad, said intelligence reports indicated that the suspect was an avid football fan who was fully immersed in the excitement surrounding the World Cup.

According to him, officers disguised themselves as the tournament mascots to approach the suspect without raising suspicion and successfully carry out the arrest.

This is not the first time Peruvian police have used creative disguises during operations.

In February 2025, an officer dressed as a capybara carrying a turtle-shaped backpack took part in a drug-related arrest in Lima. On other occasions, police officers have also posed as superheroes from Marvel films during security operations.

Peru failed to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup after finishing ninth among the 10 teams in the South American qualifying series. The country’s last appearance at the tournament was in 2018.