US EditionRio Police in Pop-Culture Masks Arrest Two Phone Thieves During Carnival
Undercover police wearing pop-culture masks arrested two phone thieves and recovered five cellphones during Rio's Carnival as part of Operation Tracking targeting theft and resale.
- On Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, Rio de Janeiro civil police arrested two suspects after a drone filmed a woman snatching a phone and handing it to an alleged accomplice, with officers escorting them to a police car during Carnival.
- Rio de Janeiro authorities note Carnival's scale and say police used disguises to arrest two suspects, locating over 13,000 devices and returning about 4,400, according to the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety.
- Across cities, costume stings have included officers in Money Heist and a prior alien-costume arrest, police said.
- Police said the operation recovered five stolen phones that will be returned, and authorities said the two arrested suspects had 30 criminal records between them, with the woman pretending to be pregnant to avoid arrest.
- Regional policing practices show that police often disguise themselves with costumes during festivities and public events, as in the recent Rio operation, which is not unprecedented.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Undercover police officers, disguised as tourists and wearing superhero and character masks, infiltrated a carnival to catch a mobile phone pickpocketing gang.
The operation, carried out in the neighborhood of Santa Teresa, allowed to recover several stolen phones
Chicago Tribune
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro police disguised themselves as thieves of the series “La casa de papel” and as Jason Voorhees, of the franchise of horror films “Friday 13”, to mingle with the crowds that celebrated Carnival and to catch criminals who stole cell phones. Carnival officially began on Friday in Rio, and for many playwrights who participate in the bustling and dazzling street parties of this megalopolis, one of the biggest conce…
Associated Press News
Rio police in 'Money Heist' and Jason masks apprehend Carnival phone thieves
Rio police are using costumes at Carnival to blend into street crowds and catch cellphone thieves. On Friday, Carnival kicked off in Rio and many revelers worry about losing their phones.
Police civilized between the foils took a couple of cell thefts during a block in Santa Teresa, in the center of Rio. Fantastic heroes of the paintings and characters of the series “The House of Paper”, the agents made the approach when they realized that a woman had set up an arm of a foil and were still present at the time when the criminal passed the device for a show. Program: Already decided where to pull the canal? Configure the GLOBO Matc…
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