Police seize £100k cash, drugs and guns
Units strike in raids across the north of city:
POLICE have seized £100,000 in cash, suspected class A drugs and firearms during raids in north Manchester.
Officers from GMP’s local divisions, alongside the Firearms Unit and Organised Crime Division executed warrants at three addresses in Cheetham Hill on Thursday.
A large sum of cash, estimated to be around £100,000, and half a kilo of suspected class A drugs were seized by police.
As part of the warrants, a 25-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and remains in custody.
It comes after warrants last week saw police arrest six people and recover approximately seven kilos of suspected class A and B drugs and in excess of £25,000.
A number of raids have been carried out by GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Division in the Cheetham Hill area in recent weeks.
The specialist division has been set up to tackle gun crime in north Manchester.
Earlier this month, a man and a woman were arrested after two shotguns and a cache of ammunition were recovered at a Manchester home.
Officers executed a warrant at an address on Rochdale Road, Harpurhey, on Wednesday this week as part of an investigation into the supply of firearms in Cheetham Hill.
Two shotguns and roughly 80 rounds of ammunition were seized.
Enquiries and forensic assessments are ongoing but detectives believe it could be linked to a number of incidents in north Manchester recently.
Detective Inspector Simon Akker of GMP’s Serious & Organised Crime Division said: “The raids we carried out yesterday are part of an on-going operation, set up to tackle gun crime in North Manchester. The operation has already proven highly successful, with a significant amount of cash, drugs and firearms seized in the past two weeks alone.
“Already this is monumental in our effort to tackle organised crime here in Greater Manchester, and I hope the results we have already seen serve as a warning to those involved in this type of crime.
“The work carried out so far is a testament to those involved and as we continue with this operation, I look forward to the results we hope to see in the weeks ahead.
“All involved have been working tirelessly to gather intel and execute these warrants, and the results really do speak for themselves.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to stress to the public that any information - no matter how big or small you may think it may be - really can prove invaluable. Intel we receive can shape our operations, and we often rely on intelligence and information received from members of the community.
“I would encourage anyone with any information or concern to contact the police, whether in person, by telephone on 0161 856 4428, online www.gmp.police.uk or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”