Knives, £100k of drugs, a stolen rolex watch worth £20k and over 15 shared bikes were recovered in a huge day of police action across Manchester city centre.
Operation Avro, a force-wide initiative by Greater Manchester Police to disrupt crime across the region, saw officers take to the streets and roads of Manchester and also on the transport network on Thursday (July 6).
Officers were deployed to what police called 'key strategic locations', including Manchester Victoria Station, Piccadilly Gardens and on the entire Metrolink network. The operation has been set up to tackle issues across the public transport system in the region, from anti-social behaviour to serious crime.
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Photos showed knife and weapon sweeps being carried out at Piccadilly and Victoria station, as a number of stolen shared bikes were recovered. The Manchester Evening News previously reported how over half of the Beryl Bikes, part of TfGMs shared bike scheme, were 'out of action'.
Officers could be seen making arrests at Manchester Victoria and searches carried out on trams. Weapon sweeps were carried out through the city, with specialist officers and sniffer dogs.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that eight arrests were made throughout the day and 'hundreds of fines' handed out. People in the city centre would have a seen a heavy police presence at busy hotspots, including at the many train stations, tram stops and on roads in and out of the city.
And throughout the day, among the number of arrests and fines handed out, around £100k worth of Class A drugs and a stolen Rolex watch worth £20k was also seized from a vehicle stopped in near the city centre.
One of the arrests was of 36-year-old man. He was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, theft and possessing an offensive weapon and he remains in custody for questioning by detectives.
Inspector Danny Kabal from GMP’s Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit said; “Our TVIU officers are constantly patrolling the streets of Greater Manchester day and night, with the sole purpose of detecting and disrupting organised crime.
"Today’s result showcases the impact the TVIU has on keeping our communities safe and it sends a clear message to criminals who think they are free to use our roads to commit their crimes.
"The public expect us to find these people, lock them up and seize their criminal assets and that is exactly what we will continue to do."
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