Vast amounts of class A drugs, lethal weapons and suspected criminals have been removed from the streets of Salford following a crackdown on crime across the city.
Greater Manchester Police said that officers seized roughly sixty wraps of heroin and crack cocaine during an investigation, codenamed Operation Venture, carried out in Broughton, Eccles and Ordsall.
The force explained that almost £1,500 worth of drugs were confiscated, £400 in cash was recovered and five arrests were made for a variety of alleged offences.
From Friday 9 to Sunday 11 January, police from GMP’s knife team swept three areas of the city in plain clothes and full uniform in an effort to clamp down on criminality linked to off-road bikes, drug supply and uninsured vehicles.
GMP said the operation began in Ordsall, where officers were deployed to target anti-social behaviour involving off-road bikes. They seized one Sur-ron bike as well as a small quantity of cannabis, before arresting as driver for drug driving and impounding an uninsured vehicle.
As the operation progressed into Eccles, a man was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon after a baseball bat was discovered during a stop linked to suspected drug activity.
The drive to reduce crime across Salford has culminated in two arrests on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of a bladed article.
Searches at linked addresses led to the discovery of a ‘Rambo-style’ knife and the seizure of an electric bike.
Inspector Joe Barron of GMP’s Operation Venture team said: “Operation Venture is making a real impact in Salford, removing dangerous weapons, illegal drugs, and uninsured vehicles from our streets.
“During this operation in Salford, we seized almost £1,500 worth of drugs, recovered £500 in cash, seized two weapons, seized four vehicles and made five arrests for a variety of offences.
“We know off-road bikes, especially Sur-ron bikes, can cause concern within our community and we’ve had numerous reports and sightings of them being driven dangerously around the streets.
“These results show our commitment to tackling organised crime and anti-social behaviour to keep communities safe.”
More information on operation Venture is available here.
