Class A drugs and thousands of pounds seized by police following North Tynside crime crackdown

Officers from Northumbria Police carried out a variety of activity under the banner of Operation Hereford at the weekend in North Tyneside.

The operation is a Serious Violence Disruption Unit (SVDU) led-initiative aimed at tackling serious violence.

A total of eight people were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences, with four vehicles seized and 26 people stop-searched by officers.

Hundreds of vehicles were also stopped across the weekend.

After executing a warrant on Wallsend Road in the North Shields area, 50 grams of cocaine and £6,000 in suspected criminal cash was uncovered.

A woman in her 40s was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and has subsequently been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Plain-clothed officers working as part of the unit infiltrated a suspected drug deal and when they made the suspects aware that they were police officers, two men made off on bikes.

However, they didn’t get far and after the officers caught up with them they were soon in handcuffs, with one man found to be in possession of cocaine and another found to be in possession of cocaine, scales and bags.

Both men were arrested and later released under investigation.

Of the stop searches of vehicles carried out, five people were arrested for suspected drugs offences, with one man reported for driving while disqualified.

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Speaking about the activity, Inspector Craig Cook, of North Tyneside Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “I hope this sends a clear message to anyone involved in criminality in our communities that it will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

“Eight people have been arrested during this weekend’s operation work and significant quantities of drugs and cash which we believe to be the proceeds of crime seized.

“This has been a great team effort with our neighbourhood, SVDU and intelligence teams collating information to carry out a targeted approach to yield some fantastic results.

“I’d like to say thank you to the public for their continued support for our efforts and would urge them to please keep on reporting anything you see in your area which is not quite right.

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