Santa Raids Drug Den

We all know Santa’s a good guy, but feelings are mixed about a police officer who dressed up in a Santa suit to conduct a drug raid in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

The officer – whose identity has not been released – went all out to catch suspected drug suppliers by surprise, and a video of the raid has gone viral.

The Santa cop led the undercover sting by breaking down the door to the suspected dealer’s home. The video shows Santa drawing the weapon out of his Christmas sack before hacking down the door.

The men inside are confused enough for officers to swoop in an arrest them, before taking them away for questioning.

‘The best gift we can give is security’

Lima’s Chief of Police says they arrested four men and seized more than 4,000 cocaine paste wrappings hidden in three houses.  The men are accused of using their homes as drug dispatch centres –selling drugs in the area of Collique.

“The best gift we can give people is a little security,” said the Chief of Police.

The Santa cop is a member of a special undercover unit which patrols Lima’s streets and carries out surprise raids in a variety of disguises. He has also dressed up as a street sweeper, homeless person and hawker.

Drugs syndicates are a significant problem in Peru. The country is believed to be one of the largest producers of cocaine in the world, alongside Colombia. Large drug cartels infiltrate all corners of Peruvian society, paying off corrupt police officers and members of the government.

The disguised raids are just one of the inventive methods used to combat the drug trade, and the crime and corruption that invariably comes with it.