Metropolitan Police officers dressed as Batman and Robin have arrested two scammers on Westminster Bridge in a creative sting operation.
The dynamic duo swooped in to catch con artists who had started to recognise local officers during regular patrols.
Inspector Darren Watson and PC Abdi Osman donned tight-fitting superhero costumes complete with masks and capes to deliver "vengeance".
The inventive ploy saw the officers burst through crowds of people before grabbing the unsuspecting scammers on February 15.
The two serving officers made the arrest on the bridge
Met Police
The two officers had to "think outside the box" after scammers operating on the bridge had come to recognise them.
"I knew that if we were going to catch them we would have to think outside the box, and then I remembered that I had Batman and Robin costumes to hand," said Inspector Watson, who took on the role of Batman.
PC Osman played Robin in the operation targeting illegal street traders who swindle tourists with rigged gambling games.
The operation led to the arrest of Eugen Stocia, 32, and Constica-Gerorghe Barbu, 53, both charged with providing the facilities to gamble.
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Inspector Watson as Batman and PC Osman as Robin made the arrest
Met Police
Barbu was convicted at Croydon Magistrates' Court on February 17 and fined £925. Stocia's case took a different turn. After being granted bail, he fled the UK. He was convicted in his absence at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday.
A warrant has now been issued for Stocia's arrest so he can be sentenced. Inspector Watson, responsible for local neighbourhood policing in Lambeth North West, explained the unusual tactics.
He said: "Although dressing up may not be the most conventional policing method, we were thrilled to see that in this case it worked perfectly.
"The team were able to get some great results, taking these people off the street and protecting tourists and Londoners from being fleeced."
The Metropolitan Police joked about planning discussions on social media: "But they have spotters. You need to go undercover. They always see you coming."
Westminster Bridge, despite being just minutes from the Houses of Parliament and New Scotland Yard, has been described as one of the most lawless places in London.
Illegal gambling gangs target tourists with games known as the "three-cups challenge" or "shell game".
In 2022, a tourist claimed on TikTok to have lost £400 in two minutes after playing a rigged cup-and-ball game on the bridge.
A Met Police spokesman said: "We know criminality on Westminster Bridge is a concern for the public. We will continue to target those involved, arrest them and continue to put them before the courts."
The bridge has seen other criminal activity in recent months.
