Cops and Chechens: TikTok duo become unlikely stars

Chechen social worker Ahmad and Viennese police officer Uwe are pictured in a shopping mall in Vienna on Feb 27, 2023. Since November, the unlikely duo dubbed ‘Cop and Che’, have been shooting short video clips that have become a huge hit on TikTok. — AFP

VIENNA: Middle-aged Austrian police officer Uwe and hip young Chechen social worker Ahmad may look like an unlikely duo, but their TikTok videos have become a huge hit in Austria.

For years the Vienna police have been mulling over ways to reach out to the city’s large community of Chechen exiles to break down stereotypes on both sides and improve dialogue.