Update Following Warrants In North Wales, Merseyside And Scotland
Friday 26th Apr 2024
Thursday 05 Sep 2019
The cross border operation led by North Wales Police, targeting serious and organised criminals, has resulted in 16 arrests after search warrants were executed across North Wales, Merseyside and Scotland.
More than 300 officers executed search warrants across Flintshire, Conwy, Anglesey and Merseyside in pursuit of those who produce, distribute and supply controlled drugs. At the same time colleagues from Police Scotland executed a number of similar searches in their area.
Specifically targeting those involved in County Lines and cross border serious and organised crime, today’s action was an intelligence led operation following a long and protracted investigation.
Over the last few hours 24 locations have been searched, 15 in Merseyside, 7 in North Wales and 2 in Scotland.
16 people - 7 men and 2 women from Merseyside, 4 men and 2 women from North Wales and 1 man from the Dumfries area of Scotland have been arrested and a number of unspecified items have been seized.
All those arrested will be questioned at police stations across the region for various offences including conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and money laundering.
Superintendent Mark Pierce of North Wales Police, said: “Today’s operation has been a massive undertaking and I’d like to thank and pay tribute to all those officers involved, including our colleagues from Merseyside, Scotland and the Serious Organised Crime Unit.”
“Over the last few months local communities will have seen our determination to address their concerns by making successful arrests. This is a continuation of that process and another example of our listening to, and acting on intelligence.”
“Keeping our communities safe remains our top priority. We will persistently target those who bring drugs into our communities from outside North Wales in line with the force policy of directly targeting serious and organised crime. Operations such as this demonstrate we listen to and act on concerns raised by our communities.
“Distribution of controlled drugs will not be tolerated and we will continue to take action to disrupt this activity. We will protect communities by putting those involved in front of the courts where on conviction they will likely be given significant custodial sentences. However, we can’t tackle this problem alone and key to all our work, and that of our partners, is intelligence. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the community sharing their concerns with us.”
Superintendent Di Pownall, from Merseyside Police, added: “Serious organised crime has no boundaries and we will work together with other forces to disrupt organised crime groups who are causing misery to communities, not only in Merseyside but other parts of the country. The criminal exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults, known as County Lines, which is undertaken by serious organised crime groups, is wholly unacceptable and we need to ensure we are doing everything we can to stop this abhorrent criminal practice and protect those who are being targeted and used by crime groups to do their bidding. By working together forces can make a real and tangible difference.
Information can be passed to North Wales Police direct via the web live chat http://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/chat-support.aspx or by phoning 101. If you’d rather pass information anonymously please phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
