Civil police officers disguised as famous characters arrested a man and a woman suspected of stealing cell phones during a Carnival block in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, on Friday (13). The operation, part of Operação Rastreio, recovered five devices.
In a strategy to combat crimes during Carnival, Rio de Janeiro civil police infiltrated a block in the central neighborhood of Santa Teresa, dressed as characters from series and films. On Friday (13), the agents arrested a man and a woman in the act of stealing cell phones from revelers.
According to the police, the suspects were caught when the woman snatched a cell phone from a victim's hand and passed it to her accomplice. Five devices were found with them. The operation included aerial monitoring by drone, enabling a swift response.
"With the aim of quickly identifying the actions of criminals who blend in with revelers in the blocks to commit thefts and robberies, the agents disguised themselves. Upon noticing that a woman snatched a cell phone from a person's hand, they pursued and even witnessed the moment she passed the device to an accomplice," the police stated in an official note.
Videos released by the force show the suspects being led by officers dressed as characters from the Spanish series "La Casa de Papel," Jason from the film "Friday the 13th," as well as masks reminiscent of Batman and Captain America.
The detainees have 29 prior police records, mostly for thefts. The woman had been arrested eight times before, and the man, once. Their names were not disclosed. "Our teams are acting strategically with infiltrated agents in the main Carnival blocks," said delegate Victor Tuttman, head of the DRCPIM (Delegacia de Repressão aos Crimes Contra a Propriedade Imaterial).
The recovered cell phones will be examined to identify the owners and return them. The operation is part of the Rastreio initiative, targeting robberies, thefts, and receiving stolen mobile devices.
