Thai police go undercover as lion dancers to nab a serial burglar

BANGKOK — 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 neighboring Bangkok. 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 ($64,000).

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.

Police said the suspect has confessed to the buglaries, saying he stole to buy drugs and gamble. They added that he has previously been convicted of drug-related offenses and burglary.