LONDON — They’re used to fighting the likes of Joker, Riddler and the Penguin, but Batman and Robin have left Gotham City and set their sights on a new breed of criminal on the streets of Britain’s capital.
Instead of hunting down high-profile masterminds, the iconic crimefighting duo set their sights low-level scammers swindling unsuspecting tourists in a classic high-street hustle.
Footage shared by the London Metropolitan Police captured undercover officers, dressed as the Dark Knight and his trusty sidekick, swooping into action on the city’s Westminster Bridge.
Donning Batman’s signature cape and cowl, Inspector Darren Watson weaved through crowds of tourists before tackling a man running a fraudulent shell game akin to the notorious “three-card monte” hustle.
The classic con sees scammers shuffle cups or cards before luring victims into betting on the wrong one.
Dressed as Robin, Police Constable Abdi Osman provided backup on the bridge and the pair arrested two people for providing the facilities to gamble. Both were later convicted.
In the video, Watson can be seen holding up a sealed evidence bag containing the scammer’s deceptive shells.
“We know that two repeat offenders have been operating on Westminster Bridge and have come to recognize me and my team from our patrols,” Watson said in a police statement. “I knew that if we were going to catch them we would have the think outside the box, and then I remembered that I had Batman and Robin costumes to hand which could come in use.”
It remains unclear how long the Dynamic Duo will continue their secondment from Gotham, but one thing is for sure: the streets of London just became a lot safer for unsuspecting tourists.
They are not the first police force leaning on fictional characters to help tackle crime.
In December, a Peruvian police officer dressed as Dr. Suess’ infamous Christmas-hating grump, the Grinch, lead a police operation in the capital, Lima, to dismantle an alleged drug-trafficking gang.
The operation was part of an ongoing tradition of dressing agents in festive costumes when carrying out operations during the holiday periods, such as Halloween and Christmas.
On the eve of last year’s Valentine’s Day, an undercover Peruvian policeman in a teddy bear costume showed up at the house of an alleged drug dealer, delivering “a fake love surprise,” as part of an operation.
