In February, a pair of illicit gamblers were caught trying to cheat tourists on Westminster Bridge, but they surely did not anticipate the arrival of two Metropolitan Police officers clad in Batman and Robin costumes to apprehend them.
As fans of the 1996 Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special might recall, a heroic duo dressed in cosplay can show up unexpectedly in any situation.
Contrary to Delboy and Rodney, who unintentionally thwarted a robbery while racing to a costume party, these officers intentionally donned the personas of the iconic superhero and his partner to surprise the offenders.
At that time, law enforcement indicated that illegal gambling rings were targeting visitors on the bridge with schemes like the “three cups challenge” and the “shell game.” However, due to the officers’ notoriety among these criminal groups, the Metropolitan Police had to devise “innovative strategies” to enact justice.
Inspector Darren Watson, tasked with neighbourhood policing in Lambeth North West and now affectionately dubbed “Batman,” stated, “We were aware that two repeat offenders were operating on Westminster Bridge and had started to recognize me and my team because of our patrols.”
“I realized that in order to apprehend them, we needed to adopt a creative approach, and that’s when I remembered I had Batman and Robin costumes available.”
“Although this method may not be the typical approach to law enforcement, we were delighted that it yielded excellent results, leading to the arrest of these individuals and safeguarding tourists and residents from being exploited.”
Eugen Stocia, 32, who has no permanent address, and Constica-Gherorghe Barbu, 53, of Herbert Road, Greenwich, were taken into custody on February 15 for facilitating gambling activities.
Barbu faced a conviction at Croydon magistrates’ court in February after being held by the police and was fined £925.
Stocia, however, was convicted in absentia at Westminster magistrates’ court on April 10 after failing to attend. A warrant for his arrest is currently active.
