North East Police have seized nearly £ 2million in cash, a shipment of guns and kilos of illicit drugs over the past year as part of a crackdown on organized crime.
Operation Venetic saw Northumbria police work hand in hand with the North East Region Special Operations Unit (NERSOU), among others.
So far in our region, 117 people have been arrested – of which 33 have been charged – and of these nine have already been convicted and imprisoned for almost 45 years.
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The activity saw over £ 1million of criminal cash seized by Northumbria Police officers and an additional £ 753,804 seized by NERSOU detectives.
Together, they recovered over 58 kilograms of amphetamine, 23 kilograms of cocaine, 2.5 kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of MDMA, as well as cannabis with a market value of around £ 900,000.
In one case, the Byker crime family, the Taits were convicted and then jailed for conspiring to supply Class A drugs. Searches for their home addresses led to a seizure of firearms, including a homemade grenade, a Stribog Carbine assault rifle and two glocks.
Hydraulic presses, ammunition and other drug paraphernalia were also recovered.
Chief Detective Inspector Paul Woods, Northumbria Police Crime Department, said: “Over the past year we have been heavily involved in Operation Venetic alongside our national and regional partners and, despite the difficult circumstances brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, we have continued to see fantastic results.
“To date, we have arrested 117 people, a number of whom have already appeared in court – and dozens more have been arrested across the country.
“These arrests and our major seizures have greatly disrupted a number of criminal organizations and no doubt made our communities safer. Hope this showed the public how serious we are in tackling crime.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played their part, including our colleagues at NERSOU, and helped us prosecute some of the most dangerous offenders, but also protect our public, our local businesses and our communities. of large-scale drug supply. and a whole host of other complex offenses.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness said: “Here we have very strong and welcome results – they show that the fight against serious and organized crime is very active in our region.
“The arrests, the drugs on our streets, the number of people locked up – all of this is due to a lot of commitment and determination from the officers and those working behind the scenes to make our region a safer place.
“We are talking about very serious crimes here – there needs to be a very serious response and that is what the Northumbria Police, along with NERSOU, are providing and this tough action will not stop.”
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