Weapons, drugs and stolen jet skis seized as part of Northumbria Police crackdown

Northumbria Police’s Operation Redwood was launched this week with dedicated teams of officers tasked with getting ahead of what the force called ‘anticipated rises in specific types of crime’ across the area.

It sees motor patrols and Operation Dragoon teams, the Firearms Support Unit (FSU), the force’s dog and mounted Sections, and dedicated Metro, Airport and Marine officers working together to take coordinated action, alongside other officers and special constable volunteers.

This week, the activity saw officers recover stolen cars, motorcycles and two jet skis – as well as seize drugs, weapons and cash believed to be associated with criminality.

Ten suspects were arrested, while 11 others were summonsed to appear in court for a range of offences.

Chief Inspector Ian Cutty, of Northumbria Police, said: “Operation Redwood is all about hitting criminals hard, preventing and disrupting their activity so that we can ultimately continue to protect our communities.

“It will see dedicated resources working together to tackle the issues most important to our communities in their area – whether that’s anti-social behaviour and associated disorder, serious violence, vehicle crime or drug supply.

“We will be identifying anticipated rises in key crime types and emerging issues and getting ahead of these by taking decisive and coordinated action to prevent incidents from taking place and bringing those who do commit offences to justice.

“This will be a rolling operation and I’m absolutely delighted with the early impact. I’d like to thank everyone involved this week for their tenacity and determination – and the results speak for themselves.

“We’ve already made a number of arrests, located a haul of suspected stolen property – including vehicles – as well as recovered weapons and quantities of illicit drugs.

“As part of Operation Redwood, we are committed to continuing to make a real, tangible difference.”

Anyone who wants to keep updated with Operation Redwood activity in their area can sign up to the force’s new messaging platform – Northumbria Connected – via www.northumbriaconnected.co.uk