Northumbria Police arrest 121 'most wanted' criminals in week-long crackdown on fugitives

Last week, Northumbria Police officers arrested more than 120 "most wanted" fugitives in a crackdown on suspects who've previously evaded capture.

As part of the force's Operation Bastian, intelligence officers and the force's harm reduction department worked across the region to identify where suspects were staying before carrying out searches across the week between May 15 and May 21.

Now officers can reveal that a total of 121 have been arrested in connection with unsolved crimes ranging from burglary and assault to drugs and weapons offences.

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Chief Inspector Karen Murray oversaw the crackdown and said: "The fugitives we arrested were deemed high-risk in our area and I am delighted that so many have now been located.

"They have been purposely evading police and it is thanks to the tenacity of officers working on Operation Bastian that they have been brought into custody. We have had support from departments across the entire Force, as well as our Special Constables who have volunteered their own time to come in and search for these individuals.

"We have also had some fantastic support from our partners across the Force, and I want to extend my thanks to them. This may well have across a week of activity, but I want fugitives in our region to know that we will never stop looking for you."

She said anyone on the run should "always be looking over your shoulder and always be expecting a knock on your door".

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of an individual who is wanted by police can contact officers by calling 101. You can also report online at the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the Northumbria Police website.

If you want to report information anonymously you can do so by calling independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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