Police Notice Something Off About Man's Hair in Airport, Grab a Pair of Scissors, And Catch Him Red-Handed

Crime doesn’t toupée.

Authorities in Colombia have taken into custody a man who tried to smuggle 19 capsules of cocaine under a wig while preparing to board a flight bound for the Netherlands.

According to a press release issued Monday, the anti-narcotics division of the Colombian National Police intercepted a Colombian traveler departing from Cartagena with the illegal drugs carefully concealed beneath a wig.

A video shared on X by the Colombian National Police displays officers removing the man’s wig, exposing the hidden capsules of cocaine tucked underneath what they referred to as a “narcopeluca,” which directly translates to “drug wig” in English.

The operation led to the seizure of 400 doses of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding 10,000 euros in Amsterdam.

The police praised “the expertise of the National Police officers,” explaining that the suspect was apprehended thanks to “surveillance and passenger profiling.”

The detained individual, a 40-year-old man from Pereira, was found to have “two judicial annotations for the crime of drug trafficking.”

He now faces formal charges for trafficking, manufacturing, and carrying narcotics, and has since been turned over to the Attorney General’s Office.

Brigadier General Gelver Yecid Peña Araque, head of the Cartagena Metropolitan Police, commended his team for the successful arrest.

“We are dealing decisive blows against these criminal structures that not only fight over local drug trafficking, but are also the generators of different violent acts and other types of crimes that disrupt peace and coexistence,” he stated.

The general further emphasized the importance of community cooperation, saying, “We continue to insist on the importance of the community being our main ally, providing timely information that helps us identify and locate criminals.”

According to the police, more than 450 individuals have been arrested for drug trafficking this year alone.

Additionally, authorities have confiscated over 250 pounds of illegal substances, including marijuana, coca base, and cocaine.

The press release also noted that the Cartagena Metropolitan Police “is intensifying operations to prosecute those responsible for the commission of criminal acts, requesting the collaboration of citizens with timely and truthful information.”

Residents were encouraged to report any drug-related activity by contacting the police through a dedicated phone line and email address.