Rio drug traffickers take exception to Santa's chopper

A Brazilian Santa en route to a kids' party in a Rio de Janeiro favela (slum) was forced to seek an alternative means of transport after drug traffickers opened fire on his helicopter, the Telegraph reports. The actor was being ferried to the bash in the Nova Mare favela on Sunday when the chopper came under fire as it passed …

[Anonymous Coward]

Uniforms..

I've not been to Rio, but the police uniforms must be a superb sight.

[Ben]

Helicoptor?

Are reindeer not more traditional? And considerably less likely to be taken for a police operation I imagine.

[Eileen Bach]

Bullet Proof Chopper

..and get a bullet proof sack too.

[andy rock]

hang on...

"They thought it was a police operation and started shooting."

says who? charvers with guns are _still_ charvers with guns, even when Santa's involved.

[Colin Millar]

Bad Santa

They expected santa to arrive by helicopter? What are they teaching kids in Brazil these days?

Anyway - give those drug dealers a cigar (and a supply of SAMs) - I always did hate xmas

Bah humbug

[captain kangaroo]

ha...

Oh the news is just great today, thank El Reg for bringing these gems to our screens today.

[Graham]

Incomplete quote...

The president of the local residents' association described the children as "very sad as they had expected Santa to arrive by helicopter" ... " and had to put away the SAMs they'd borrowed from their elder brothers for the occasion".

[lglethal]

Every kids dream

To hold up Santa and steal ALL of his presents! Thats all these drug traffickers were doing - it had nothing to do with them thinking he was a cop!

[J]

No...

Had they used reindeer to pull the helicopter, then we'd shoot them anyway to eat the damn things! I've heard they are part of many a popular dish in Sweden...

[Tim Brown]

Oh dear oh me

The first three words I read were "A Brazilian Santa" and I suddenly thought of that hair removal thing...

poor Santa.