Bedfordshire Police make arrests in ‘crackdown’

Police in one province have seized a loaded shotgun, drugs and stolen cars and made 16 arrests during a “cross-border crime” investigation.

Bedfordshire Police said officers had been involved in a “local branch” of a national operation.

Detectives said a number of people were charged with various offences.

A senior detective said police were targeting organized crime.

“This crackdown was a joint approach with other forces to identify and arrest serious criminals using the road network to commit organized crime linked to provincial drug lines, gangs and weapons,” said Det Ch Insp James Panter, who oversaw at the Bedfordshire branch of the police. operation.

“Using a range of overt and covert tactics, we have successfully remanded a number of suspects for a wide range of offenses underlying some of the most serious crimes plaguing Bedfordshire.

“In one case, an arrest was made just 20 minutes after a car was reported stolen, and in another case we found a loaded shotgun after pursuing a stolen vehicle.

“The defendants now face the legal process, while our investigation into a number of other related investigations will continue.”

In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said 16 arrests had been made and more than 100 packs of Class A drugs and four stolen cars had been seized.

“Following the arrests, officers filed a number of charges for violent crimes, including domestic violence, threats to kill, strangulation and assault on an emergency worker,” the statement said.

“Charges have also been filed in connection with burglaries, car thefts and shoplifting.”