The Albany Gazette - Giant teddy bear nabs Peru drug dealers in Valentine raid

Two Peruvian women accused of drug trafficking got more than they bargained for on Wednesday when a romantic gesture turned out to be a police raid leading to their arrests.

Police footage of the raid showed a giant teddy bear holding up gifts outside the women's home, while another officer held a heart-covered sign reading "You are my reason to smile".

One of the women rushed down the stairs to receive her offering.

But love can be deceiving, and the cuddly bear quickly sprang into action, tackling her to the ground. The second woman was arrested inside.

"It was a surprise operation for them as part of the day of love," the disguised officer later told AFP.

Police said the women, a mother and daughter, were part of a gang called "the drug cheats", and sold cocaine paste and marijuana from their home in northern Lima.

Hundreds of packages of drugs were seized at the location.

Peruvian police have become adept at disguises and operations launched on special dates to try to deceive and trap criminals.

The officers "disguised themselves using the teddy bear because drugs were sold there," Colonel Walter Palomino, head of the Green Squadron of the National Police, told AFP.

Peru is one of the world's biggest cocaine producers, yielding some 400 tonnes per year, according to official figures.

In 2023, authorities seized 21.5 tonnes of cocaine and dismantled 119 criminal networks linked to drug trafficking, according to the interior ministry.

(O.Garcia--TAG)