Pooling our resources to tackle cross-border criminals – 63 arrests made during three days of action

Officers working together from five forces across the South of England have arrested 63 people during a three-day operation to disrupt criminals and tackle violent crime.

The initiative involved officers from Surrey, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, British Transport Police, and the Metropolitan Police.

The operation successfully resulted in:

• 63 people arrested
• 27 vehicles seized
• 10 illegal weapons seized
• 19 instances of drugs recovered

Motorways and arterial roads are often used by criminals to run drug operations called ‘County Lines’, which filter large quantities of drugs into local communities.

This dedicated operation tackles those who may be involved in drug dealing, weapons offences, burglaries, and other serious violent offending, by using police intelligence to target vehicles being used for criminal activity.

In Surrey specifically, 11 people were arrested for a number of offences including stalking, harassment, burglary, and failing to stop for police.

Detective Inspector Dee Fielding from Surrey Police, said:

“As a police force, our main objective is to keep the residents of Surrey as safe as possible. Criminals utilise the road network to carry out all sorts of offences, so by pooling resources and using police intelligence, officers were able to effectively target these people whilst they were on the move.

“Many of those arrested will be involved in organised crime and pose significant risk to our communities through drug dealing, exploitation, associated crimes like burglary. They often target vulnerable adults and children, so this cross-border working is vital in showing those involved in these types of crimes, that they are not welcome here or in any other Police force areas. 

“If you have any concerns about criminal activity in your local areas or have any information that you think might help us keep your community safe, please let us know so we can take action and improve our intelligence picture.”

Information from our communities is vital in identifying and intercepting these serious criminals so please tell us if you notice that seems something that just doesn’t seem right. You can report a crime or suspicious incident online at https://www.surrey.police.uk/ or by calling 101.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111.