Displaying items by tag: criminal activities

Merseyside police made 32 arrests, carried out 66 stop and searches, executed 11 warrants, and seized eight vehicles in 24 hours as they cracked down on organised crime after the fatal shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. A total of 202 people have now been arrested. The latest arrests were part of Operation Miller, the force's effort to confront and bring down organised crime in the area. A 31-year-old man was arrested for possession of a lock knife, over £9,000 in cash, a quantity of white powder and cannabis when they searched his home. Another was arrested when they searched his home and found a stolen Rolex watch. Two other men were arrested for stealing a car, dangerous driving, possession of bladed articles, and assaulting police. Officers have also been deployed on major routes in and out of the city targeting suspected criminals.

A top-secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns has been ‘successfully penetrated’, says the National Crime Agency, which worked with forces across Europe on the UK's ‘biggest and most significant’ law-enforcement operation. Major crime figures were among over 800 Europe-wide arrests after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded. Over two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns, and £54m in suspect cash was seized after an investigation initiated and led by French and Dutch police which also involved Europol - the EU agency for law enforcement cooperation. Wil van Gemert, of Europol, told a press conference that the hacking of the network had allowed the ‘disruption of criminal activities including violent attacks, corruption, attempted murders and large-scale drug transports’. The operation lasted three months: 171 were arrested in the UK, including two law enforcement officers. See also the Europe article on the Netherlands.

Journalist Mobeen Azhar went to Huddersfield to investigate gun crime. His enquiry, lasting almost two years, found links between Huddersfield and national and international drugs trading, mainly by British Pakistanis. Each incident he saw on videotape seemed to follow the same pattern - streets cordoned off, gunshots, blood, and masked men speeding off. Witnesses were afraid to talk for fear of retribution. The words ‘young Pakistani’ kept coming up, with suggestions of a drug turf war. ‘It’s getting out of control - you can’t pop down to the shop without a bulletproof vest’, one woman said. In 20 months, 95+ incidents involving firearms related to the drugs trade occurred in one Huddersfield district alone. People justified selling drugs because ‘the customers aren’t Muslim, so you don’t have to respect them’. One in every 100 people in Yorkshire and Humber has used crack cocaine and other opiates.