Out with the officers tackling Wellingborough's TRU gang

"They weren't here today but we only have to get lucky once."

Wellingborough's TRU gang cause misery. They exploit vulnerable people, peddle drugs and use violence as a way to control the streets.

The notorius gang - with TRU being short for Trapperz R Us - run a class A drug line from the town's toughest estate, the Hemmingwell.

But police are on to them and today (Thursday) carried out three warrants at addresses linked to gang members and associates in a bid to disrupt their activities.

The Northants Telegraph was invited on the raids and joined more than 15 officers, who all wore masks because of the Covid-19 pandemic, at a briefing at Wellingborough Police Station at 7.30am.

Just after 8am they travelled just over a mile to the Hemmingwell estate and one team targeted a property in Thrush Lane as the second, which our reporter was following, simultaneously burst through the doors of a flat in Nest Farm Crescent.

Nobody was in and no class A drugs were found, but a cache of terrifying weapons were seized and taken off the streets of Northamptonshire.

They included imitation firearms, a crossbow hidden in a cupboard and what was believed to be an air rifle in two parts stashed under a bed and taken away in an evidence bag.

An axe was hidden under a mattress with knives, a baton and a knuckleduster also seized.

Several phones were recovered with evidence of drug use inside the filthy, squalid flat, on the same street where a 24-year-old man was stabbed on June 12. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and has since recovered and a 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of GBH with intent.

It's the latest raid in Northamptonshire Police's 100 days of intense policing activity in a major crackdown to tackle areas including serious organised crime and exploitation.

Sergeant Ollie Charter, who is from CIRV (Community Initiative to Reduce Violence) team and was the lead on today's raids, said: "What's key is to let them know that we are aware of them and we are on to them.

"They weren't here today but we only have to get lucky once.

"We know that by keeping them on their toes they will trip up."

Officers later searched a family home in nearby Kestrel Lane and seized a small amount of cannabis. In today's raids they also gathered more intelligence to help them tackle the gang and made progress on safeguarding.

Trapperz R Us members - many of which are in their late teens or early 20s - have a violent past.

In 2018 TRU associates were jailed for a gang-related ammonia attack.

But members have been offered a way out.

The Northamptonshire CIRV project, the first in England, is a multi-agency intervention programme which works with gang members to show them the consequences of the life they are choosing to lead.

It gives them an alternative pathway through mentoring, support and job opportunities.

Police have offered gang members the opportunity to sign up to the CIRV project and have a new life, and will be making life "hostile" for those who turned it down.

Sgt Charter added: "They (the gang members targeted today) have been offered a way out and they are choosing to carry on offending.

"If they do that we are going to make their choice of living the criminal lifestyle as hostile as possible."

Anyone with information about drug or gang-related activity in Northamptonshire should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Message from the editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive.

We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you