Western Morning News (Saturday)
Police arrest 39 in crackdown on organised crime
ASTRING of raids have been carried out across Plymouth in a crackdown on organised crime gangs.
Specialist officers from Merseyside Police joined forces with Plymouth police this week to target three main organised crime gangs from Liverpool operating County Lines in the city.
In just 48 hours the army of officers has overseen the arrests of 39 men and women, as well as the seizures of thousands of pounds worth of heroin, cocaine, crack, cannabis and spice, nearly £10,000 in cash along with ten vehicles including an Audi and a Saab.
The operation saw more than a dozen properties and vehicles searched and a number of weapons recovered – including an imitation handgun, a baseball bat, a butterfly knife, a zombie knife, three more large knives, a knuckle duster and a crossbow.
By Wednesday morning one man had been charged at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court for possession with intent to supply diamorphine, crack cocaine and cannabis as well as possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was later remanded into custody to appear at Plymouth Crown Court in April.
The term County Lines is used to explain the rising problem of city-based drug dealers shifting heroin, crack and cocaine to rural locations.
Operation Medusa saw Plymouth police’s Proactive Teams join forces with around 30 of Merseyside Police’s specialist officers during Tuesday and Wednesday.
Det Insp Steve Fleetwood, who heads the teams and oversaw Operation Medusa, said the large team of Merseyside officers were a welcome boost to his own team’s work.
He confirmed that Plymouth police had a number of ongoing investigations into separate gangs underway at present and “35 persons of interest suspected of being involved in County Lines”.
The two-day operation focused on three such gangs from Liverpool.
During the two days officers carried out a series of vehicle stops, stop searches and raids at properties which netted a huge haul of items.
During the first day of the operation, officers arrested a total of 23 people and seized a significant array of drugs, weapons and cash.
The total figures and seizures for Tuesday’s operation was:
Eight vehicles seized - including an Audi and a Saab
£6,500 in cash
23 people arrested
5.5 grams of spice
43 grams of cocaine worth an estimated £4,500
66 grams of crack cocaine worth an estimated £6,600
64.5 grams of heroin worth an estimated £6,400
178 grams of cannabis worth an estimated £1,800
a butterfly knife, a zombie knife, a knuckleduster and a imitation handgun revolver
The total figures and seizures for Wednesday’s operation was:
16 arrested two cars seized
14 grams of heroin
57 grams of crack cocaine
650 grams of cannabis a crossbow three knives
£3,000 in cash
During the two days police said they gathered “hundreds of pieces of intelligence and in excess of 20 safe and well visits of vulnerable people”.
By Thursday morning police said around 12 people had been charged with a number of offences.
Det Insp Fleetwood said: “Merseyside Police’s Medusa team are funded by the Home Office and it has not cost Plymouth police anything.
“They come with their own specialist tactics and equipment, such as ANPR and pursuit-trained officers.
“They do this professionally all the time – this is all they do, all day, every day.
“They are able to spot people from Liverpool quicker than we can – they spot the behaviour, the appearance and they way they interact with people is fascinating to watch. They spot the furtive movements, even the type of clothing.
“Younger Liverpudlians get moved down here as part of County Lines and help run the operations.
“They think we’re a soft touch but operations like this shows that you can’t come to this force area and think you can carry with impunity – we’re just as capable in targeting these organised crime groups.
“This kind of operation has never been done in any part of Devon and
Cornwall and there is no doubt it is an unqualified success.”
“During a previous operation the Medusa team carried out in Dorset last year saw nine people arrested and a number of cars, drugs and cash seized.”
In the Plymouth operation Det Insp Fleetwood said mobile phones had been seized which will provide police with more intelligence which will be fed back to Merseyside Police.
“Word will spread across not just Plymouth, but Devon and Cornwall about the last two days of work. The Medusa Team have brought their expertise and tactics and we’re very grateful to them.
“With National County Lines week starting on March 7 every force will be deploying various initiatives to tackle, raise awareness and safeguard all of those involved.
“For me I wanted to use this opportunity to showcase Plymouth city in many ways.
“The size and magnitude of this city often goes unnoticed, the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and the fact we are all prepared to really invest our efforts in enforcing the fact that those who think they can supply drugs in to our city are wrong and will be caught.
“While a lot of the operations focus is on identify and catching those persons, there is a parallel amount of effort from officers in safeguarding not just innocent people who inevitably get caught up in the violence and weaponry used by these drugs suppliers, but the even more innocent vulnerable adults and children who get targeted and groomed in these gangs for many different reasons.”
‘They think we’re a soft touch but we’re just as capable of targeting organised crime groups’ DET INSP STEVE FLEETWOOD