Not all gambling busts require heavily armored law enforcement officers blowing off doors, as a pair of Metropolitan Police proved after taking down suspects in a busy London tourist area while dressed as Batman and Robin.
The police force for Greater London took to X with a video clip of the two officers successfully “deploying creative tactics to protect the public” on Westminster Bridge:
According to a police statement, organized gangs target tourists on the iconic London bridge with gambling games like the “three cups challenge” or “shell game.”
The police said its officers were very familiar to the perpetrators, so a fresh approach was necessary.
might not be “the most conventional policing method”
Inspector Darren Watson (Batman) admitted donning superhero costumes might not be “the most conventional policing method,” but that it “worked perfectly.”
Watson said the Metropolitan Police was “thrilled” that it got “some great results, taking these people off the street and protecting tourists and Londoners from being fleeced.”
Batman and Robin’s arrests on the day included Eugen Stocia, 32, and Constica-Gherorghe Barbu, 53, under suspicion of providing gambling facilities. According to reports, London courts have already convicted both suspects. Barbu was fined £925 ($1,223), while Stocia was convicted in absence with a warrant subsequently issued for his arrest.
