Undercover crime: The bizarre disguises used for sting operations - and why one policeman from Peru tops the list

I had written a number of stories about the escaped parrot, which a news editor had spotted flying down Edinburgh’s Regent Road while out for a Sunday stroll. Through my articles, we had identified the owner and had turned our focus to reuniting the pair.

When the deputy editor called me into his office, however, and told me he was considering hiring a parrot costume for me in hope that I would attract the escaped bird, I’m not going to deny that I threw a Bridget Jones-esque strop about being a serious journalist. Thankfully, the costume was never acquired and we managed to rescue said parrot without it.

My parrot costume experience pales into insignificance compared to what an undercover police officer had to do in Peru this week – all in the name of catching criminals.

Drugs busts are not usually a laughing matter, but despite the seriousness of the crime, Peruvian authorities could not help but have a Valentine’s Day joke about their latest sting operation, which was captured on video and has gone viral.

An officer in Lima, the country’s capital, dressed up as a giant plush teddy bear and knocked on the door of a house the force wanted to raid – clutching a box of chocolates, a heart-shaped balloon and a sign that read in Spanish “you are my reason to smile”.

When the inhabitants answered the door, a swarm of officers surrounded them and began their raid. Still wearing his costume, albeit minus the head, the bear-cop himself was seen restraining a female suspect and pulling contraband out of a drainage grate.

“Can you imagine a triple-plush Teddy bear captured a drug dealer? On the day of love and friendship?” joked Peruvian National Police spokesman Jose Honorio.

The incident made me wonder how many other bizarre disguises police officers have worn to solve crimes. My extensive investigation found while most undercover sting operations are not quite as exciting as they sound – there is a lot of posing as dodgy business people, which is far less entertaining – there are some which go the extra mile.

My favourite is one from 2005, when a happy couple held a lavish wedding on a luxury yacht off the coast of Atlantic City. Guests, many of whom had known the couple for years, flew from as far away as China to attend.

It turned out the impeccably-dressed bride and groom were actually a pair of FBI officers, who had spent years gaining the trust of members of an international crime ring, which specialised in counterfeiting. Operation Royal Charm – named after the yacht – led to the arrest of 87 people in raids across Canada and the US, with goods seized worth more than $50 million [£40m].

All impressive stuff, but the Peruvian officer still gets my vote for best costume award. His countryman, Paddington, would be proud.