Undercover police go dancing in lion costume to catch serial burglar
#Thai police #Lion costume #Serial burglar #Lunar New Year #Buddhist theft #Nonthaburi #Undercover arrest
📌 Key Takeaways
- Thai police used traditional lion costume as undercover disguise to catch serial burglar
- Suspect had been stealing Buddhist objects and statues from temples in Nonthaburi province
- The 33-year-old suspect had previously evaded arrest by spotting plainclothes officers
- Burglar confessed to stealing to fund drug use and gambling habits
📖 Full Retelling
Thai police officers successfully arrested a serial burglar at a Lunar New Year fair in Bangkok's Nonthaburi province on Wednesday, February 20, 2026, after going undercover in a traditional lion costume to get close enough to the suspect who had been stealing Buddhist objects and Buddha statues from temples and had previously evaded arrest. The operation, captured in footage released by the Bangkok police department, shows officers dressed in a red-and-gold lion costume dancing through the crowded festival. The officer wearing the lion's papier-mâché head used the traditional performance as cover to approach the suspect before suddenly pouncing and pinning him to the ground at the temple. Police had been tracking the 33-year-old suspect for some time, having identified him through tracing stolen amulets he had sold and learning he frequently visited temples in the area. The suspect, who had previously been convicted of drug-related offenses and burglary, is accused of breaking into the home of a local police commander in Bangkok three times earlier in the month, making off with valuables worth approximately 2 million baht (£47,700). According to police, the man had spotted officers sent to arrest him on previous occasions and successfully evaded capture. Following his arrest in the lion costume sting operation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the burglaries, admitting he stole the items to fund his drug use and gambling habits.
🏷️ Themes
Undercover Operations, Cultural Tactics, Crime Prevention
📚 Related People & Topics
Royal Thai Police
Law enforcement agency
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) (Thai: สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ; RTGS: samnakngan tamruat haeng chat) is the national police force of Thailand. The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of all civil servants (excluding the military and the employees of state-owned enterprises...
Lunar New Year
Beginning of a year in a lunar calendar
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Original Source
Undercover Thai police go dancing in lion costume to catch serial burglar Bangkok police footage shows officers dressed in a red-and-gold lion costume dancing towards the suspect as he walks through a Lunar New Year fair. Friday 20 February 2026 08:36, UK 0:43 Share The suspect allegedly stole multiple Buddhist objects and Buddha statues from temples in the Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. Why you can trust Sky News Thai police went undercover in a traditional lion costume in order to get close enough to a serial burglar to pounce on them and arrest them. Footage released by the Bangkok police department shows officers dressed in a red-and-gold lion costume dancing towards the suspect as he walked through a Lunar New Year fair on Wednesday. The officer wearing the lion's papier-mache head then leaps at the suspect and quickly pins him to the ground at the temple in Nonthaburi, a province covering part of the Bangkok conurbation. Police said the suspect, a 33-year-old man, is accused of breaking into the home of a local police commander in Bangkok three times earlier this month. He is suspected of making off with valuables worth around 2 million baht (£47,700). Police said they had attempted to arrest the man several times, but he had spotted the officers sent after him and run off. They later identified him by tracing stolen amulets he had sold and learned he frequently visited temples in Nonthaburi. Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free Get Sky News on WhatsApp Follow our channel and never miss an update Tap here to follow Lion dancers are often part of the Lunar New Year, and the custom allowed the officers to go undercover for the operation. Read more from Sky News: Trump: Release the alien files Drones armed with lasers to tackle illegal rubbish dumps Police said the suspect confessed to the burglaries, saying he stole to buy drugs and gamble. The force said he had previously been convicted of drug-related offences and burglary. Re...
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