Meet the Grinch who stole Christmas ... from alleged drug dealers
The Grinch is not just stealing Christmas this year, he may be busting drug gangs too.
A Peruvian police officer dressed as Dr. Suess' infamous Christmas-hating grump took charge of the naughty list last week after leading a police operation in the capital, Lima, to dismantle an alleged drug-trafficking gang.
Footage supplied by the national police agency show the Grinch, dressed in Santa's jacket, running down a street in San Bartolo, southern Lima, with a sledgehammer slung over his shoulder.
The Grinch smashes on a door with his hammer, and, with other members of law enforcement, raids a building of a family of alleged drug dealers, one of them shouting "police!" before cuffing a woman inside the building.
The identity of the officer dressed as the Grinch was not released.
The police and the Grinch uncover what appears to be drugs. Video then shows the Grinch escorting two woman into the back of a police car.
An officer, standing in front of the Grinch and his sledgehammer, says his group captured "three drug dealers that are now in custody," after an agent "ingeniously managed to go unnoticed disguised as the Grinch."
Pictures released by police also show the Grinch standing next to the accused by a table covered in what appears to be cash and drugs gathered from the scene.
Police did not release the identities of the accused and the results of the case against the.
The operation was part of the police unit’s ongoing tradition of dressing agents in festive costumes when carrying out operations during the holiday periods, such as Halloween and Christmas.
On the eve of Valentine's Day earlier this year, an undercover policeman in a teddy bear costume showed up at the house of an alleged drug dealer, delivering "a fake love surprise," as part of an operation in Lima.
Agents have also dressed up as superheroes and horror movie characters like Freddy Krueger and Jason.
With the Grinch leading the way, Peru’s criminals now know Whos in charge.
