Police launch 100-day crackdown on organised crime, drugs, violence, abuse and child exploitation in Northamptonshire

Police are promising to make it a long, hot summer for Northamptonshire's criminals after launching a 100-day crackdown on crime across the county.

Serious organised crime, sexual violence, domestic abuse, child exploitation and cuckooing — with an emphasis on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults — is top of the list of targets for specialist teams acting on local tip-offs during the special operation announced today (Tuesday).

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Blatchly, who is leading the operation, said: “This operation began last week in the north of the county where four warrants were carried out, resulting in two community resolutions and drugs link referrals for possession offences, a conditional caution for cannabis cultivation and one person referred to the Youth Offending Service.

“In the Northamptonshire West Local Policing Area, 12 search warrants were executed resulting in the seizure of £1k worth of prepared cannabis, a quantity of Class A drugs and around 700 cannabis plants, with three people arrested, charged and remanded.

"A man wanted by French police for drug trafficking offences was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant.

“This is just the start and dozens more warrants have been secured or are being prepared for court by our intelligence department and these opportunities for proactive policing will continue unabated.

“The pace of this activity will be relentless and painstaking and will include a crackdown on exploitation with safeguarding officers involved in every warrant to help identify and protect vulnerable children and adults.

“I can’t emphasise enough that this activity is intelligence led and I appeal to our local communities to continue to submit information relating to any concerns they have in their neighbourhood, by calling 101 or submitting a report online.

“Anybody wishing to report information anonymously can do so by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111”.

Cuckooing is a form of crime where drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person to use for dealing, storing firearms,and other criminal activity. The crime is named for the Cuckoo's practice of taking over other birds' nest for its young.

The Northamptonshire operation will last until mid-October and follows recent crackdowns which saw officers shut down ten cannabis farms in the space of 14 days across the county.

Drugs squad officers raided five more addresses simultaneously in the Ecton Brook area of Northampton.

Another swoop on a commercial property in Upper Thrift Street led to the seizure of around 600 plants worth around £500,000.

Two men — Tan Nguyen-Cong, aged 38, and 45-year-old Ban Hoang-Thach — have since been charged with production of a controlled Class B drug.