Police seize drugs, £1.5m cash and more in crime crackdown
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As part of a national clampdown called Operation Venetic, officers from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) have been carrying out coordinated strikes, tactical vehicle stops and raids – alongside teams from Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police forces – since March.
It follows months of planning and undercover work by European Law enforcement agencies who successfully gained access to an encrypted means of criminal communication.
Thousands of handsets were monitored and millions of messages analysed before police forces began targeting some of the most dangerous individuals operating in their communities.
9kg cocaine; 79kg amphetamine; 2kg MDMA; 1200 cannabis plants and 10kg cannabis bush; 1kg Ketamine; 41kg Mixing agents; 10 vehicles; 12 encrypted devices; Nine firearms; 338 rounds ammunition and one explosive
Detective Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson, from NERSOU, said: “Organised
crime is anything which is planned, coordinated and conducted by brazen individuals who want nothing more than to turn a profit.
“This operation sends a clear message that we will do all we can to bring these people to justice and seize any assets achieved through criminal means.
“This has been a clear priority for us and the three police forces of Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland since we launched Operation Sentinel last January, our overarching dedicated initiative to target this type of activity.
“Organised crime can devastate our communities and can often see the exploitation of children and vulnerable people.
“While it’s amazing to see such large recoveries of drugs and firearms – it’s important we continue our work so these groups are dismantled and can no longer operate.
“Community intelligence is vital to this and we hope this activity gives people the confidence to approach their local force with any information that can help us tackle serious and organised crime.”
Jayne Lloyd, NCA Regional Head of Investigations for the North, said:
“Criminals who believed they were operating anonymously in the shadows of technology, have and are still being exposed”
Want to report something suspicious? Contact your local force on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.