Fugitive migrant criminal bizarrely tries to hide in town’s Nativity scene

Affray in a manger …

Bizarre images show the moment a fugitive migrant on the run in Italy was spotted trying to blend into a Christmas Nativity scene by pretending to be one of the Three Wise Men.

The mayor of the town uncovered the unholy ruse — although he said he first thought about contacting the organizers of the outdoor scene to praise them because the “statue” was so lifelike.

Then, it moved.

The not-so-wise man was seen standing in the background of the festive scene with his arms held aloft, trying to imitate the life-size statues alongside him during the comical incident.

His less-than convincing scheme showed him wearing a winter coat entirely different to those of the statues.

The wanted man, a 38-year-old Ghanaian migrant, was fleeing from the cops after allegedly assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.

He was previously sentenced to nine and a half months in prison by a court in Bologna before escaping to the southernmost tip of the boot.

He tried to hide in the nativity scene in the small town of Galatone in Puglia while on the lam.

But his manger scheme was spotted by the town’s mayor.

“While standing in front of the Nativity carefully made by our [tourism office], I noticed a presence I had initially mistaken for part of the scene. A detail that seemed harmless, but turned out to be decisive,” Mayor Flavio Filoni wrote in a statement on Facebook.

“Thanks to the quick intervention of our Local Police, State Police and Carabinieri, it was possible to track down and identify a person who was [a wanted fugitive]. A result that confirms, once again, how fundamental it is to place full confidence in the day-to-day work of those who guarantee safety and legality.

“A sincere thank you to all the women and men who guard our territory with competence, attention and dedication,” Filoni said.

The unidentified migrant was quickly arrested and has since been remanded in custody in the nearby city of Lecce, where he will serve out the rest of his sentence.