More than 50 arrests have been made during a blitz on crime in a Greater Manchester town. Greater Manchester Police made 52 arrests after executing 18 warrants across Bolton yesterday (May 16).
It was part of Operation Avro, which sees extra resources and specialist officers hit the streets of a different borough each month. Arrests made varied from being on suspicion of assault, to theft and possession of a bladed article.
They also included burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and cannabis cultivation. GMP says it uncovered a large, highly sophisticated cannabis farm after acting on intelligence from the public through Crimestoppers.
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Officers also clocked 354 traffic offences, including 282 related to speeding, and recovered a knife from the street. A total of eight vehicles were seized and six arrests made for traffic offences - including illegal tinting, drug driving and no insurance.
In addition, 27 taxi licencing checks were conducted along with partner agencies. Working with Bolton Council’s trading standards team, around 17 premises were also raided, and a large quantity of illicit tobacco and nitrous oxide being taken off the streets thanks to the specialised work of sniffer dogs.
The sniffer dog alerted the team to the wall of a shop which revealed an improvised hydraulic lift system full of illegal tobacco products - which GMP says can help fund organised crime if left undetected. Knife crime workshops were also offered at local primary schools, so youngsters learn about the dangers and consequences of carrying weapons.
Chief Superintendent Steph Parker, of the Bolton district, said: "Over the past 12 months we have listened to the community, and we know that your concerns are around dangerous and speeding drivers, drugs, anti-social behaviour, and serious violence. Please keep talking to us, we need to know what matters to you, and how we can make Bolton a safer and stronger community.
"Operation Avro is a successful operation to do the police work we are trained to do. The officers want the public to feel safe and we will do our best with the information and intel we have to make the streets safer.
“I also want to encourage people to report things and to give us intel because in many cases we make arrests after gathering intel given to us by the public, so it does help us massively.”
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