Shopping malls have a holiday atmosphere with Christmas decorations and piped-in music greeting shoppers. Store staff and even security guards are adequately costumed with Santa Claus hats on for the occasion.

The Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies has issued a reminder that security guards are prohibited from wearing Santa costumes.

At a recent press conference in Camp Crame, PNP-SOSIA Director, Brig. Gen. Gregory Bogñalbal, also reminded guards and shoppers that security guards are prohibited from performing unrelated duties like serving as parking attendants, fast-food service crew or janitors as this would distract them from their job of securing mall goers.

Criminals could take advantage of the situation while security guards attend to other matters, Bogñalbal said.

He warned that guards violating regulations may be fined P500 to P1,000, while their security agency could lose its license.

In contrast, Peruvian police have different tactics for dealing with criminals during Christmas.

A special unit called Green Squad recently conducted an anti-drug operation in a neighborhood in Huacal, near the capital, Lima, that led to the arrest of two men. The two suspects, aged 25 and 32, were allegedly members of a drug trafficking gang.

One of the squad members was an undercover police officer, and a video of him wielding a sledgehammer to break down the door to the building being raided went viral online.

The video then showed the cop in a red and white jumpsuit and a mask with flowing white hair and a beard forcing one of the suspects to lie on the ground with his hands behind his back, The Independent reported.

Green Squad chief Walter Palomino said the Santa disguise effectively did not arouse suspicion in the neighborhood, leading to a successful drug bust, according to the Independent.  

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