Key facts
- Peruvian police officers disguised themselves as 2026 World Cup mascots, Maple the Moose and Clutch the Bald Eagle.
- The officers arrested a suspected drug dealer in a Lima neighborhood.
- The disguise was used to approach the suspect without raising suspicion.
- The head of the police squad stated the suspect was a fervent football fan.
Two Peruvian police officers, disguised as the 2026 World Cup mascots Maple the Moose and Clutch the Bald Eagle, have arrested a suspected drug dealer in Lima. The operation, carried out by the Peruvian National Police's Green Squad, aimed to apprehend the individual without raising suspicion.
Colonel Carlos Fredy Alcántara Obregón, the head of the squad, explained that the suspect was a passionate football fan, and the mascot costumes were chosen to facilitate a non-suspicious approach. The raid took place in a Lima neighborhood.