Shropshire Star

Police stop more than 60 vehicles in operation

More than 60 motorists were stopped as part of a joint operation targeting cross border crime.

Published

Operation Vulture was aimed at criminals travelling across police force borders and committing rural crime such as burglaries, theft of and from vehicles and theft of lead and diesel.

These included rural areas across the West Mercia Police force area, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Dyfed Powys and North Wales.

First carried out in June 2008 across the northern area of West Mercia Police's region, the operation, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, has developed to tackle cross border organised crime groups travelling to and targeting towns within the south Shropshire area.

Officers carried out checks in various policing areas, stop-checking vehicles and occupants where there were grounds to do so and using Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems to target individuals believed to be associated with criminal activity.

There were 21 officers involved in the operation and a total of 62 vehicles were stopped. Incidents included officers finding two heavy goods vehicles which had been siphoned of fuel. One vehicle was seized with five individuals linked to the West Midlands area on board, one vehicle was seized for having no tax and one person was also taken into custody on suspicion of drink driving.

Inspector Sean Brennan, of West Mercia Police, said: "Tackling cross border crime plays a vital part in protecting people and helping to keep our local communities safe from harm. Criminals show no respect for county boundaries and operations such as this form part of the robust steps that West Mercia Police and our colleagues in neighbouring forces have put in place to prevent criminals bringing their activities to our area from bigger towns and cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool.

"We are sending a clear message to criminals travelling into our region that their actions will not be tolerated and that we are dedicated to stopping their activities before they have chance to affect our communities."

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