BIKE GANG BROKEN
Cops’ big crack-down
‘He was tracked down in just two weeks’ POLICE SGT CALLUM RODGERS
Police have arrested five people, four men and one 12-year-old, in dawn raids across the north-east in relation to a spate of motorcycle and other vehicle thefts. Officers from Operation Benelli, a specialist motorcycle theft taskforce, seized three motorcycles, three Transit vans and one other vehicle as part of the major investigation. Detective Inspector Tam Fowler, who leads Operation Benelli, praised the partnership between forces in making the raids.
“As a result of the co-ordinated operation, we are questioning five and we have also seized a number of suspected stolen goods which will be important as we progress this investigation,” he said. “We have done some fantastic work already in the Operation Benelli team to raise awareness of motorcycle thefts and the work we are doing around the clock to identify and pursue suspected offenders is ongoing. “That work will continue over the coming weeks and months, and our message to those involved in motorcycle crime is simple: we are looking for you and we will be knocking on your door soon.” The Operation Benelli team are experienced and specialised officers who review every incident where a motorcycle has been involved with a crime in a bid try to establish any patterns of behaviour.
Victims of the crimes are also spoken to in order to build up an intelligence picture of those involved in the disorder before any arrests are made.
Another specialised police unit, Operation Venice, has also seen recent success. The team’s work to catch a moped thief paid off when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing a man at knifepoint. Zuriel Hutson was found guilty of stealing a £75,000 watch before making his escape on a scooter in Barnet, Hertfordshire in 2018.
Police Sergeant Callum Rodgers, of the Operation Venice team told MCN: “This was a terrifying robbery by a ruthless offender who targeted his victim and threatened serious violence to rob the man of his watch. “Detectives worked quickly to identify Hutson and he was tracked down in just two weeks of the incident.”