Police dressed as Santa and his elves arrest stunned drug gang in Peru

Officers were kitted out in festive clobber as they stormed a building in Surquillo, Lima on Saturday, December 17.

During the sting operation, one of Santa’s elves took out a hammer to break the front door of the building before startling the residents who began to scream as they were ordered to lay on the floor.

Police official David Villanueva told Peruvian TV that the four suspects, three men and a woman, initially thought it was a joke.

“It being Christmas, a Santa in the street does not attract much attention, and we used this to our advantage for this operation,” he explained.

During the raid, agents seized 6,000 packets of cocaine paste, 104 packets of cocaine powder and 279 of marijuana.

The bust was nicknamed 'The fall of the Chicago Grinch' after Dr Suess’ fictional character and the town’s nickname of 'Little Chicago'.

It’s not the first time police in Peru have used this tactic. In both 2016 and 2020 officers carried out drug raids while dressed as Santa and his elves.