In Peru, a bizarre operation caught everyone’s attention as police officer dressed as a capybara carried out a drugs raid.
The incident, captured on video in Lima on Valentine’s Day, shows the costumed officer apprehending a suspected drugs trafficker.
The footage depicts the officer forcefully entering the premises, subduing the suspect and securing him with handcuffs.
Police reported discovering more than 1,700 packages of cocaine and marijuana during the search.
The recording concludes with the costumed officer photographed alongside the suspect and the seized substances displayed on a table, Daily Mail reported.
This operation was executed by Peru’s Escuadron Verde, a specialised anti-drugs unit known for using festive disguises during operations on occasions like Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas.
The unit has previously employed superhero costumes including Spiderman, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow during raids.
Col Pedro Rojas, the unit’s commander, stated: ‘On this occasion, Valentine’s Day, lover’s day, we sought to camouflage ourselves with the character of the capybara.’
Last Halloween, two Peruvian officers, dressed as Deadpool and Wolverine, raided a suspected drugs operation in Lima.
Additionally, last December in Lima, an officer dressed as Santa Claus apprehended two suspects dealing cocaine and marijuana from a residence.
According to UN data, Peru ranks among the world’s primary producers of coca leaf and cocaine. A government study from June showed an 18 percent increase in coca leaf cultivation area during 2022. Most cultivation occurs in protected areas and indigenous Amazon communities near Brazilian and Colombian borders.
While coca leaf chewing for energy and altitude sickness remains legal, officials estimate 90 percent serves illicit drug production, with cultivation increasing annually since 2015.