LONDON: UK police have seized more than £140,000 worth of cash and drugs and eleven smugglers have been arrested since police started a crackdown on a town’s organized crime.
Officers in Consett launched ‘Operation Boomerang’ in October with the aim of disrupting the activity of those that make a living through crime around the town and the nearby Burnhope area.
And in the last two months police have executed eight magistrates warrants storming a variety of residential and business properties.
So far 11 suspects have been arrested, and two others attended police stations to be questioned on a voluntary basis.
A number of items of stolen property have been recovered and returned to their rightful owners, while drugs with an estimated street value of £123,000 have been seized along with £20,000 in cash, thought to be proceeds of crime.
Insp Keith Wardle, head of Consett’s neighbourhood policing team said Operation Boomerang would continue.
“We have seen in recent years the demoralising effect that organised crime groups have on our local communities.
“But our pledge to the public is that we will continue to target those individuals who are involved in this type of activity.
“The results so far are very encouraging, however the work of Operation Boomerang is not finished.
“There will be further warrants executed and I am sure we will make more arrests over the coming weeks.”
The first raid, on a property in Front Street, Burnhope in October saw a suspected stolen gas meter recovered, which has led to ongoing enquiries between the police and gas suppliers into the suspected theft of gas over a long period of time.
Then the following month police stopped a car in Consett and discovered cannabis to the value of £24,000 and cash in excess of £10,000 inside. Both occupants of the vehicle are currently on police bail.
The same day police executed a warrant at Redmire Drive and allotments in Windsor Gardens in Consett. Two men were arrested following the discovery of a substantial amount of white powder, suspected to be cocaine worth £16,000. And £8,500 in cash was also seized.
A few days later police went to an address in Burnhope Court, in Burnhope and recovered a generator and a wacker plate.
One man was arrested and interviewed, but was later released no further action.
However, both items were subsequently identified as having been taken from a farm in Burnhope.
Then on November 14 and 15 police stopped a further two vehicles and found a quantity of white powder, suspected to be cocaine with a possible value of £28,000 – found in one and a stolen cement mixer in the other. The powder is awaiting forensic tests and the mixer has been returned to its owner.
Later in the month warrants were executed at an industrial unit in Blackhill and a house in Shotley Bridge. Various items associated with cultivation of cannabis were discovered at the industrial unit and one man was arrested, he remains on police bail pending forensic results.
Police also visited Pleasant View, Bridgehill and Allison Street, Consett where they arrested two men and seized white powder – again, suspected to be cocaine – from the address in Pleasant View.
And in early December a warrant was executed at Chapel Drive, in the Delves Lane area leading to one man being arrested. He is currently on police bail pending forensic results, cannabis plants with a street value of £50,000 were recovered along with growing equipment.
