Batman and Robin swooped in to stop a scam in the heart of London—only this time, it was real police officers in disguise.
The Metropolitan Police shared video footage of a recent undercover operation near Parliament. In the clip, officers dressed as Batman and Robin ran across Westminster Bridge to bust a man operating an illegal street gambling game.
The man was running a “cup and ball” scam, similar to the old three-card monte trick. It involved hiding a ball under one of three cups and encouraging tourists to bet on where the ball ended up. But the police said the game was rigged, and it was impossible to win due to sleight of hand.
The officer dressed as Batman was Inspector Darren Watson. His partner, Police Constable Abdi Osman, played Robin. Together, they arrested one man and seized the gambling setup.
Police say scammers often use actors to pretend to win, tricking tourists into thinking the game is fair. A 2017 report said most victims are visitors to London who don’t know about local gambling laws or the tricks used by scammers.
The arrest was part of a larger police operation on February 15 to clean up illegal gambling around Westminster Bridge, an area packed with tourist attractions like the London Eye and Aquarium.
Street gambling in the UK is tightly controlled, and licenses are required for anyone taking money from the public or performing in busy areas like central Westminster.
Inspector Watson said the decision to wear superhero costumes came from the need to surprise the scammers, who were starting to recognize undercover officers. “I knew that if we were going to catch them we would have to think outside the box,” he said.
Thanks to this creative approach, two suspects were arrested during the sting and later convicted.
