When Thai police were having trouble catching a serial burglar who repeatedly slipped through their fingers, they came up with a creative plan: going undercover in a traditional lion costume to get close to their elusive quarry.
Video footage released by the Bangkok police department showed officers hidden beneath a red-and-gold lion costume dancing toward the suspect on Wednesday as he wandered through a Lunar New Year fair at a temple in Nonthaburi, a province neighbouring Bangkok.
WATCH: Thai police disguised as lion dance performers arrested a burglary suspect at a temple fair
Officers from Thailand’s Metropolitan Police Bureau went undercover as a lion dance crew in order to catch a wanted burglar who had managed to evade arrest several times before pic.twitter.com/m7SE820gsG
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2026
How did Thai Police catch burglar
Moments later, the officer who was holding the lion's papier mache head lunges at the suspect, swiftly pins the man to the ground. Police say the suspect, identified as a 33-year-old man, is accused of breaking into the home of a local police commander in Bangkok three times earlier this month, making off with valuables worth about 2 million baht (USD 64,000).
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Police attempted to arrested several times, but had failed
In a press release, police said they had attempted to arrest the man several times, but he was quick to spot police officers and ran off. They later identified him by tracing stolen amulets he had sold and learned that he frequently visited temples in Nonthaburi.
While the Lunar New Year is not an official holiday in Thailand, celebrations are common and lion dances are often part of the festivities, providing the perfect cover for the operation.
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Police said the suspect has confessed to the burglaries, saying he stole to buy drugs and gamble. They added that he has previously been convicted of drug-related offences and burglary.
(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran and has been published through a syndicated feed. Source - PTI)