Police seize £2m drugs and stop 200,000 street deals in Operation Endeavour

Over £2million pounds worth of drugs have been seized and around 200,000 street deals prevented after the launch of a dedicated operation to tackle serious and organised crime.

• Class A, B and C drugs have been removed from Cleveland’s streets, preventing 200,000 £10 deals.
• Weapons including machetes, bb guns, knives and a grappling hook chain have been taken from the hands of suspected criminals.
• 151 suspects have been arrested with 135 of these people charged to courts or reported for summons for alleged crimes.
• 57 warrants have been executed
• 174 vehicles have been searched
• 35 vehicles have been seized
• £32,000, believed to have been used to fund criminal empires has been removed with a substantial amount still to be counted.

Operation Endeavour, which began in May, sees specialist policing teams dismantle organised groups who cause harm to local communities and target work to tackle violent criminals.

Chief Constable Richard Lewis said: “What’s clear to me is that these drugs were destined for the streets of Cleveland and in seizing them, my teams have stopped 200,000 street deals from taking place – preventing further harm to communities and saving lives.

“Organised crime groups and violent criminals ruin lives and the consequences of their offending is far reaching. As they look to strengthen their networks and push drugs onto our streets, our specialist officers are working to be one step ahead of them and seek justice before the courts.

“It’s this work that is the lasting legacy for Cleveland Police. The harm we stop, the lives we save, and the difference that we make for future generations.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Steve Turner, said: ““Operations like this one are vitally important in protecting some of the most vulnerable groups in our society. Every drug deal is a potential death and our officers deserve significant recognition and praise for the amount of harm they may have prevented during this operation.”

“I pledged to the people of Cleveland that I would make our area safer and a more difficult place for drug dealers and organised crime gangs to operate. Operation Endeavour is just the first of many initiatives aimed at doing that and as public confidence in our force grows we can do further work in partnership with our communities to tackle the longer term effects of drugs and crime in our towns and villages.”