Op Artemis: Force-wide focus tackling serious and organised crime

Hundreds of officers demonstrated their commitment to disrupting serious and organised crime to protect our communities in Teesside from harm.

The activity – which took place throughout Tuesday 30 April – kick started with the strike phase of a long-running operation into an organised crime network suspected of the whole sale supply of cocaine in Teesside and the North West.

Seven people – two women and five men – were arrested and taken into custody for questioning. Detectives from the Organised Crime Unit supported by officers across the force, National Crime Agency and North East Regional Organised Crime Unit also seized drugs, weapons and cash.

All four district commanders for Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland – Superintendent Martin Hopps, Superintendent John Wrintmore, Superintendent Marc Anderson and Superintendent Emily Harrison – issued a message to local communities on what will be happening across their patch.

This included:

• Neighbourhood officers in Redcar receiving information provided by the community that led to a warrant being executed at a property on Ayton Drive. Trading Standards joined up with officers in Stockton to raid a shop and a property on Station Road in Norton which resulted in two hundred illegal vapes being seized. The vapes can often be offered as rewards or ‘gifts’ by organised crime gangs to exploit and groom vulnerable children.
• In Hartlepool officers recovered two large vacuum-packed bags of cannabis when they executed a warrant at Joanna’s Fish Bar, on York Road on Friday 26 April, following information received from members of the public. A 57-year-old man was arrested in Grangetown on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
• An event was held at North Ormesby Hub to discuss how to safeguard older people in the community from fraud and cyber-crime – now the highest risk areas to members of the public with older people becoming victims of fraud every 40 seconds. Organised criminal gangs are making use of internet connected devices to gain access to victims that previously would have been inaccessible. The force’s cyber protect and prepare officer, Kelly Close was joined by Middlesbrough Council, Age UK, Citizen’s Advice and Safer Communities.
• The force’s Integrated Offender Management team carried out compliance visits on individuals who have been given Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPO). The orders are given to people who have been convicted of being involved in a serious crime to further protect the public through prevention, restriction or disruption. The IOM check if any breaches have been identified and regularly conduct visits to ensure that they are adhering to conditions. In the visits on Tuesday (30 April) there were no breaches or issues identified showing they are working.

Detective Chief Superintendent Anne-Marie Salwey, Cleveland Police’s Head of Crime, said: “The activity conducted under Operation Artemis reflects our commitment to members of the public that we are tackling serious and organised crime through prevention and targeted disruption to protect the community.

“While a lot of this work is happening daily, it provides a snapshot of what our officers are doing behind the scenes that the public may not already be aware of.

“I want to take this opportunity to reassure people that the hard work will continue to put a stop to individuals who are believed to be profiting from the sale of drugs, exploiting vulnerable people including children, and partaking in serious violence along the way."