North East organised crime crackdown sees jail time total over 150 years
Northumbria Police and the North East Organised Crime Unit seize over £1 million of drugs and cash since the start of 2023 alone
More than £1 million of drugs and cash has been seized, and a combined jail time of over 150 years handed down by Police over the past six months alone.
It’s after a crackdown on organised crime in the North East, with the Northumbria force’s work alongside our region’s organised crime unit.
Northumbria Police say the message to offenders is clear - expect to find yourself behind bars, and prepare to have your assets taken over - as their fight against criminality in the North East continues.
In all, drugs, cash and Proceeds of Crime confiscation orders with a value of almost £1.4 million have also been obtained by Northumbria Police since January.
Police are now reiterating calls for help from the public to provide any information which could help bring those responsible for organised crime to justice.
Detective Superintendent Paul Woods, of Northumbria Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “The results so far this year speak for themselves and will send a strong message to those who think they can carry out organised crime in our communities.
“Anybody looking to make money from selling harmful, addictive illicit substances can expect to be pursued vigorously by our teams, have their operations dismantled and their drugs and cash seized.
“Similarly, those who engage in violent disorder as part of organised crime will not go unpunished and we will do everything we can to apprehend you and bring you to justice.”
Det Supt Woods added: “Tackling serious and organised crime as part of our dedicated Operation Sentinel remains one of our top priorities, and no-one should have to live with this type of criminality taking place in their area.
“We would ask any members of the public with concerns about possible illegal activity to contact us as soon as they possibly can. This helps us to dismantle these types of operations quicker and get those responsible before the courts.”
The crackdown by police so far in 2023
Some of the action police have taken in the North East since January include:
- January - more than 4 years behind bars for a drug dealer following the uncovering of £135,000 worth of cocaine, and £260,000 of criminal cash
- February - drug dealer ordered to pay back 'ill-gotten gains' of more than £313,000 by a court
- February - 6 years behind bars handed to a dealer from Northumberland after pleading guilty to running a cocaine business, which was valued at more than £164,000
- March - a cross-border week of 'County Lines' action saw more than 100 people arrested, alongside more than £90,000 worth of drugs and cash being seized
- March - £209,066 seized by Northumbria Police's financial detectives after 9 forfeiture orders were granted following fraud, money-laundering, drugs offences and the sale of illegal tobacco
- March - a large-scale cannabis farm was uncovered by neighbourhood police and the North East Organised Crime Unit in Newcastle's West Denton, which the force have revealed was worth more than £200,000
- April - almost 44 years of combined jail time to a group after police detectives brought them to justice for their part in a kidnapping in North Tyneside
- April - the 12th and final member of a cocaine crime group was jailed – bringing the overall total of sentences handed down to more than 68 years
- May - eight men were put behind bars for a combined jail time of more than 51 years following a UK-wide firearms conspiracy, which saw a gun fired at a home in South Shields
- Mat - cocaine dealers were jailed for a combined 16 years in prison after their encrypted devices were infiltrated by police - helping them to uncover an illicit operation worth an estimated £300,000
- June - a drug dealer from Newcastle serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis was issued with a confiscation order for £112,000... this cash which was set to be seized by police has been reinvested back into the community, and to help them with their continued fight against crime
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “This work clearly demonstrates officers are coming down hard on anyone who thinks they can target the North East with their criminality.
“These are serious crimes and serious effort has gone into catching those responsible, to ensure they are behind bars as well as stopped from causing further harm and misery to our region. “I’m very pleased with the results from Northumbria Police here and know there’s more to come – the fight against crime doesn’t stop.”
If you have any information about serious and organised crime in your community here in the North East, you are urged to get in touch via 101 or on their website.
You can also report information 100% anonymously with Crimestoppers online or on 0800 555 111.
In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.