The two mascots were caught on camera assisting in the arrest of a drug dealer in Lima, Peru with the wild footage finding its way onlineRachel Vickers-Price UK and World News Reporter07:43, 14 Jun 2026Updated 07:46, 14 Jun 2026World Cup mascots Maple and Clutch have been at the centre of a dramatic drug bust in Peru, with the 2026 mascots spotted smashing down a door with a sledgehammer to help authorities bring down an alleged drug dealer.‌But, while it certainly looked like Clutch the Bald Eagle and Maple the Moose, both of FIFA 2026 World Cup official mascot fame, it would the dynamic duo were actually a pair of police officers in disguise.‌Colonel Carlos Alcántara, head of Peru police's Green Squadron — essentially, a specialised police unit that deals with common crime - confirmed his creative team they arrested Carlos Cabrera, 48, with the help of the two undercover agents/mascots on Thursday during the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.‌Content cannot be displayed without consentOfficers had learned their target was football mad and would likely be too caught up in the excitement of the World Cup to notice that police were closing on in, Col Alcántara said.“Thanks to intelligence work, we realised that this person was a diehard football fan and was caught up in World Cup fever,” Col. Alcántara said.‌The Peruvian police chief added: “Therefore, we decided to disguise personnel as World Cup mascots so we could approach him without raising suspicion and apprehend him.”There is a third mascot for FIFA 2026, s jaguar named Zayu that represents México, but that cool cat was nowhere to be seen at the scene of the crime.Police did find 2,524 packets of cocaine though, and firearms.‌The two creative coppers have since shared their bad-guy busting antics to social media, taking to TikTok to share their own take on World Cup fever on Thursday. The video's caption reads: "World Cup Mode: Operation ends with the fall of Pichichi."Pichichi being the nickname of the small-time drug dealer they arrested, as well as a reference to an award given to the top scorer in the Spanish league.‌The TikTok clip shows the officers in full mascot garb, smashing their way through a gate with a battering ram on Thursday before arresting a man in a white T-shirt.In Perú, the drug trafficking on a micro level is punishable by three to seven years in prison when a person is found with five to 50 grams of cocaine base.Other Peruvian police officers have also previously disguised themselves as Marvel superheroes, the Grinch, Freddy Krueger, Deadpool and Wolverine and even Santa Claus to approach those they are about to arrest without arousing suspicion. And, somehow, it works.Article continues belowAnd, while Peru may have failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup - it finished ninth among the 10 CONMEBOL teams - its police force may already be a contender for some sort of win for mascot of the year. Or, perhaps arrest of the year instead.