15.06.2026 22:30
A football fan suspect identified for drug trafficking in Peru's capital Lima was caught in a sledgehammer raid by two undercover officers disguised as World Cup mascots Clutch and Maple. During the operation conducted by the Green Squad teams, 2,524 packages of cocaine base and a weapon were seized, while the moment the suspect saw the mascots went viral on social media.
In Lima, the capital of Peru, a special police unit combating ordinary crimes executed an unusual method to catch a notorious drug dealer. Turning the suspect's passion for football into an opportunity, teams dressed as World Cup mascots Clutch and Maple and seized thousands of packets of cocaine in a raid.
Peruvian police added another creative undercover operation aimed at surprising and catching criminals off guard. In Lima, 48-year-old Carlos Cabrera, accused of drug trafficking, was caught red-handed in a movie-like operation orchestrated by police capitalizing on World Cup excitement.
FOOTBALL PASSION BECAME THE KEY TO THE OPERATION
Colonel Carlos Alcántara, head of the special "Green Fleet" unit fighting ordinary crimes, explained the behind-the-scenes details of the operation in a statement to the Associated Press (AP). Colonel Alcántara stated that through intelligence work, they identified the suspect as an avid football fan caught up in the World Cup excitement. Acting on Thursday, when the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa was played, the teams decided to use the tournament's mascot costumes to approach the target without raising suspicion.
RAID WITH SLEDGEHAMMER IN MASCOT COSTUMES
As part of the operation, two undercover agents donned the costumes of the mascots: "Clutch" the bald eagle representing the USA and "Maple" the moose representing Canada. The disguised police, reaching the suspect's door without attracting attention, used a metal sledgehammer to break in alongside their colleagues. While the suspect was stunned to suddenly see the tournament mascots before him, the operation was successfully completed. Video footage of the raid released on Peruvian police social media showed mascot-costumed officers meticulously collecting evidence at the scene and handcuffing the suspect, moment by moment.
THOUSANDS OF PACKETS OF COCAINE BASE AND A WEAPON SEIZED
In a statement from the police department, it was announced that detailed searches of the house yielded exactly 2,524 packets of cocaine base and one firearm. Authorities emphasized that this successful raid was an important part of the determined efforts to combat micro-drug trafficking in the region. It was shared that, according to Peruvian law, individuals caught with between 5 and 50 grams of cocaine base face prosecution for "micro-drug trafficking" and could be sentenced to 3 to 7 years in prison.
PERUVIAN POLICE'S UNIQUE COSTUME TRADITION
This operation is not the first creative action by Peruvian law enforcement using popular culture characters to outsmart criminals. In previous successful operations, the Green Fleet teams had also chosen costumes of world-famous fictional film characters such as Santa Claus, the Grinch, Freddy Krueger, Deadpool, and Wolverine to break suspects' defense mechanisms and approach from a safe distance.