Police raided dozens of homes across Greater Manchester in a major crackdown on an organised crime gang which is ‘using children as young as 12.’
In the early hours of Wednesday (February 18), GMP’s Serious Crime Division carried out the warrants at 22 properties and took 23 men into custody, who are all suspected of being linked to a major gang.
There were 258 officers from across multiple districts who carried out the raids alongside Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson, who revealed that young and vulnerable children are being used as drug mules.
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Speaking to reporters, the chief said: “The fact is, this is an embedded Organised Crime Gang that have for many years wrought significant damage on our communities and are involved in criminality at the highest level.
GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson speaks following organised crime raids across Greater Manchester and Merseyside
“Not only are they involved in criminality at the highest level and are profiting from that personally, their method is to exploit, very often, vulnerable people, young people, to frankly cast them off when they get caught up as people lower down the chain frequently do.
Police raided properties across Greater Manchester
“We have evidence of children as young as 12 to aged 17, being routinely exploited in county lines. They are running drugs, ferrying drugs between locations, assisting with the gathering of monies.
“Of course we all recognise that with children at that age, they are extraordinarily vulnerable and being put in harms way, and frankly ruining their lives. But these people care not a jot about that, which is another in an indictment of bad things these people get up to.
“This is a really significant operation, targeted towards people who frankly deserve everything that’s coming to them. It’s going to rip a hole in organised crime in Greater Manchester and beyond.”
A total of 22 warrants were executed where 23 suspects were arrested. 17 men, aged between 18 – 55, and six boys aged between 13 and 17 were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs, modern day slavery offences and robbery.
TAU and Serious Crime officers conducted warrants(Image: GMP)
Eleven of these arrests have been made across the City of Manchester, four in Salford, two in Wigan, one in Rochdale, one in Bury and one in Bolton. Two arrests were also made in Merseyside and one arrest in south Wales.
Several weapons were also seized including two imitation firearms, bladed articles and tasers, along with cocaine and ketamine, £3,000 of cash, eight Rolex watches, valuables in excess of £40,000, and a caravan, all believed to be related to the group’s criminal activity.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop, who leads GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Division, said: “Today’s operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our region.
“We now have 23 people in custody; all linked to a family-run organised crime group that have been causing widespread harm across our communities. Their criminal enterprise has been significantly disrupted and today marks a major step towards completely dismantling their operation.
Firearms were seized (Image: GMP)
“During the execution of 22 warrants across Greater Manchester and Liverpool this morning, officers weapons, drugs, suspected criminally gained cash, and even a caravan believed to have been used as the headquarters of their operation.
“The exploitation of children and the supply of drugs will never be tolerated. The individuals we have arrested today we believe have brought significant harm, particularly to the City of Manchester and Salford.
“Our job isn’t over, and while this operation has been six months in the planning, we will carry on with our relentless action for as long as is necessary, and until organised crime groups are dismantled. We still have persons of interest that we want to lock up, so let this be a message to you: we will come for you, and we will find you.”