Police Wear Fancy Dress in Rio Carnival Phone Theft Sting
Wednesday, 2026/02/18241 words4 minutes110 reads
In an innovative approach to combating petty crime during Rio de Janeiro's renowned Carnival festival, Brazilian Civil Police officers have employed elaborate disguises to apprehend phone thieves operating among the crowds. The undercover operatives donned masks and costumes depicting iconic characters such as Captain America, Batman, Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise, and the distinctive red overalls from the Spanish Netflix series Money Heist.
The tactical deployment proved successful when drone surveillance identified a woman extracting a mobile phone from an unsuspecting festival attendee before transferring it to her alleged male accomplice. The subsequent intervention resulted in the apprehension of both suspects and the recovery of five stolen devices in the Santa Teresa neighborhood, all of which are slated for return to their rightful owners.
The two detained individuals collectively possessed 30 criminal records, with authorities noting that the female suspect attempted to evade arrest by feigning pregnancy. This operation constitutes a component of the broader state-sponsored Operation Tracking initiative, which specifically targets the theft and illicit resale of mobile devices. Since its inception, the program has successfully located over 13,000 devices and facilitated the return of approximately 4,400 to their owners.
This unconventional policing strategy is not unprecedented in Latin America. Peruvian law enforcement has regularly employed similar tactics, with officers adopting elaborate costumes during operations timed to coincide with holidays such as Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas, demonstrating the regional adoption of creative approaches to crime prevention.
