In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather evidence of the suspect's wrongdoing. Mass media journalists occasionally resort to sting operations to record video and broadcast to expose criminal activity.[1]
Sting operations are common in many countries, such as the United States,[2] but they are not permitted in some countries, such as Sweden.[3] There are prohibitions on conducting certain types of sting operations, such as in the Philippines, where it is illegal for law enforcers to pose as drug dealers to apprehend buyers of illegal drugs. [4] In countries like France, Germany, and Italy, sting operations are relatively rare.[5]
- ^ Greenslade, Roy (2 June 2013). "Journalism: to sting or not to sting?". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Watch: FBI Targets American Muslims in Abusive Counterterrorism "Sting Operations"". The Huffington Post. 23 July 2014.
- ^ [1] Swedish Supreme Court, verdict B 5039-06.
- ^ Luna, Franco (25 February 2021). "PDEA and PNP scrap 'miss encounter tag on Commonwealth shootout, will wait for probe findings". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ The Surveillance State and the Surveillance Private Sector: Pathways to Undercover Policing in France and the United States Jacqueline E. Ross. Law and History Review. 40(2). May 2022. pp. 261-303