£3m worth of cannabis seized from Rotherham organised crime groups
Police have carried out 20 raids over the past six months
Police in Rotherham have seized £3m worth of cannabis from organised crime groups in the last six months.
South Yorkshire Police’s Operation Fortify team, which targets organised crime groups (OCGs), has worked alongside neighbourhood policing teams to execute warrants and gather information.
A report to Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner, states that the targeted work has led to the execution of 20 warrants, the seizure of 5kg of suspected cocaine attempting to be exported from the UK, and “significant quantities” of Class A drugs.
More than £3 million worth of cannabis has also been recovered alongside £120,000 cash and a firearm.
The targeted work has led to 27 arrests of OCG members, leading to six charged with various offences from drug supply, to driving offences and public order.
Four OCG members on license have been recalled to prison as a result of proactive work, and three offenders have been imprisoned in total for over 33 months.
The report adds: “We are also working with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and media to design a bespoke Crimestoppers campaign targeted at OCGs to encourage members of the public to report anonymously on any criminal activity.”