Scooby-Doo-Themed Cops Nab Phone Thieves at Brazil Carnival

During Brazil’s lively carnival season, São Paulo police officers staged an unusual sting by dressing up as beloved cartoon characters to thwart a wave of pickpocketing. As part of an operation dubbed “Operation Tracking,” officers masqueraded as Shaggy, Velma, Daphne, Scooby-Doo, and even a Squid Game guard to disrupt a gang stealing mobile phones.

A man and two women were arrested, with one of the suspects found carrying eight cellphones. The seized devices were promptly returned to their rightful owners, marking a notable use of pop culture in a real-world crime-fighting effort.

This isn’t the first time Brazilian authorities have leveraged familiar figures to counter crime at major events. Earlier in the month, São Paulo officers dressed as Ghostbusters stopped a woman found with 12 phones. The creative ruse follows a broader trend in which law enforcement teams across Brazil have tapped iconic characters for carnival security, including Rio de Janeiro officers channeling Money Heist and Jason Voorhees to deter criminal activity.

For fans of Scooby-Doo and related pop culture, there’s continued chatter about the brand—from merchandise like Scooby-Doo Lego sets to new developments in Velma and other film or TV projects—highlighting how fiction increasingly intersects with real-world events. Related topics include updates on the Velma cartoon and James Gunn’s take on Scooby-Doo cinema, as well as ongoing discussions about alternative director’s cuts of Scooby-Doo films.