Peru police enlist help of 'Santa Claus' for drug raid in Lima

LIMA, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A police officer in the Peruvian capital disguised himself as Santa Claus to raid a home where officers arrested four people and seized a large amount of cocaine paste.

A video of the operation in Lima shows an officer dressed as Santa bust in a door with a sledgehammer, allowing he and other members of the National Police of Peru's anti-drug unit, most of whom were dressed in police garb rather than Santa suits, to raid the home.

Police arrested four alleged drug dealers, reportedly members of the Pinto crime family, and seized 4,564 small packets of cocaine paste.

Police said the officer wore the Santa suit to the neighborhood so as not to raise suspicions and he concealed his gun and other gear in his sack. They said undercover officers in festive disguises had been monitoring the area for several days prior to the raid.