Other Tourist Scams in Iquitos

False Police Drug Inspection on the Plaza

Near Plaza de Armas in Iquitos, individuals in plain clothes or partial police uniform approach tourists claiming to be narcotics investigators, stating they must inspect wallets and passports for counterfeit currency or drug residue. Peru has no legal basis for a plainclothes officer to conduct a street wallet inspection, and the intent is to extract cash or demand a bribe.