Thai cops go undercover as dancing lions to catch repeat burglar

Okay, this is wild! I just heard that the police actually went undercover as a lion dance group to catch a burglar at the temple fair! Can you believe it? They totally blended in and managed to arrest the suspect. It’s such a clever way to catch a criminal, and I’m really impressed with their dedication!

Thai police responded to a tip about the suspect’s location at a temple in Nonthaburi province on February 18, 2026, and quickly arrived on the scene.

Rather than disguise themselves as attendees or vendors, local police devised a clever, movie-like plan to catch criminals at the festival.

Lion dancing police capture suspect

I was so surprised to see videos online of police officers disguising themselves as a lion dance group! It’s a really cool performance, you usually see it at Thai temple fairs and celebrations, and it’s amazing they blended in like that.

The video shows officers gently swaying to the drum music while discreetly searching the crowd for the person they were looking for.

When police found the suspect, they quickly moved in for the arrest, resembling a dramatic scene from a nature documentary. They ordered the suspect to get on the ground, and the officers, who had been disguised in a lion costume, removed it before completing the arrest.

The incident started on February 4, 2026, when a high-ranking police officer in Bangkok reported several valuable items stolen from his house, according to the Thai Post. Police found evidence someone had broken in, and reported that the thief came back to the house but ran away when seen.

Police identified a suspect nicknamed “Jojo the Outlaw” after recovering some of the stolen amulets. They believed he often visited local temples, and had tried to arrest him at one previously, but he noticed them and got away.

Police learned the suspect was planning to meet with others at temples in the Sai Noi district on February 18th. To blend in with the large crowds at the temple fair, officers went undercover disguised as members of a lion dance group, hoping to avoid being noticed.

A video of the strange police operation has quickly become popular online, and many are calling it one of the funniest arrests ever filmed.

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2026-02-19 16:21