Police seize £1m in crime purge
More than £1million in cash and 132kg of drugs have been seized by police tackling serious and organised crime.
O ve r th e yea r, o f f i c e r s from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) managed to seize £1,140,310 cash, carry out 362 criminal disruptions, arrest 96 people and seized the drugs.
Of those arrested, 18 have a l ready b e e n c h a rge d fo r their suspected involvement in organised crime and seven have been convicted.
Detective Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson, head of NERSOU, said: “This year we were part of a massive coordinated effort which saw all forces and regional crime u n i t s c o m i n g togeth e r to tackle some of the most dangerous offenders as part of Operation Venetic.
“Despite the difficult circumstances brought about by the global pandemic and the obvious challenges that it brought to the world of policing, our teams managed to achieve incredible results ranging from seizing large quantities of cash and Class A drugs to safeguarding a number of vulnerable adults and children.
“T h i s ac t iv i ty h a s u ndoubtedly made our communities safer and shown the public just how serious we are about fighting crime as offenders are not only brought before the courts, but also stripped of any finances and their organisations crushed.”
As part of this year’s activity, two firearms – a Glock and a Rifle – were also seized along with four stun devices, three CS sprays and an air weapon.
A total of 97 adults and 172 children were safeguarded.
Det Chief Supt Simpson added: “These latest figures document our activity from January to the end of November and the great results are testament to the relentless work of our officers here in the North East.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played their part this year – not only have we pursued some of the most dangerous offenders, but we’ve also worked alongside members of the public, local businesses and our partners to protect our communities from cybercrime, fraud, large-scale drug supply and a whole host of other complex offences.
“We are proud to work alongside Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland in the fight against these poisonous and dangerous criminal groups.”