11 people arrested in dawn raids across city
ELEVEN people have been arrested after police officers carried out 13 dawn raids across Newport.
High-performance cars have also been seized, including an Audi A3 and Q5, along with large quantities of designer clothing and jewellery, cash and high-value electrical equipment.
Gwent Police said that what were thought to be Class A drugs have also been seized and will be sent away for forensic examination and identification.
More than 160 officers were involved in the clampdown on serious and organised crime yesterday.
A spokeswoman for the force said 11 people have now been arrested on suspicion of serious organised crime-related offences.
She added: “They are all currently in police custody and investigations are now ongoing. Work is now ongoing throughout Gwent and more updates will follow throughout the day.”
The raids, part of Operation Jigsaw, took place in Alway, Liswerry and in the east of the city.
Superintendent for the Newport area Ian Roberts said: “Today, over 160 of our specialist officers have worked together to carry out these warrants and I’m extremely proud of their hard work.
“This activity doesn’t just take place in isolation, it is just one aspect of a much larger fight to tackle serious and organised crime in Gwent. We have our eyes on these people and we won’t stop this fight to dismantle these groups of criminals.
“I’d like to thank our communities once again for their support, which is vital for warrants like these to be executed successfully. We understand that nobody knows their streets better than the residents that live there. They see what goes on day to day, they see suspicious activity, when something is not quite right.
“If you see something that either seems out of place or in most cases, if something just does not add up, then you can contact us and know it will be dealt with seriously. What may seem like a small detail to you, to Gwent Police it could be the final piece to a much bigger puzzle.”
The Detective Inspector for Organised Crime, Andrew Tuck, who led on the warrants, said: “This morning’s raids are a culmination of months of meticulous work across Gwent Police to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups operating within Gwent.
“Today builds on a number of arrests and seizures of drugs, cash and possessions already made from this organised criminal network and will hopefully send a clear message to others involved in the supply of drugs that we will disrupt these most serious crimes in Gwent.
“Serious organised crime and the perceived rewards can seem deceptively glamorous to the young and vulnerable who can be exploited and drawn into a life of criminality, but what they do not always see is the violence and misery that underpin this life and the prison sentences offenders will serve.”