Police make arrests in cross-border 'crackdown'

Police in Bedfordshire have been involved in a 'crackdown' on cross-border crime

Police in one county have seized a loaded shotgun, drugs and stolen cars and made 16 arrests during an investigation into "cross-border crime".

Bedfordshire Police said officers had been involved in a "local arm" of a national operation.

Detectives said a number of people had been charged with a variety of offences.

A senior detective said police forces were targeting organised crime.

'Overt and covert tactics'

“This crackdown was a collaborative approach with other forces to identify and apprehend serious criminals using the road networks to commit organised crime, linked to county drugs lines, gangs and weapons," said Det Ch Insp James Panter, who oversaw the Bedfordshire arm of the operation.

“Utilising a range of overt and covert tactics, we successfully remanded a number of suspects for a wide range of offences which underpin some of the most serious crimes blighting Bedfordshire.

“In one instance an arrest was made just 20 minutes after a car was reported as stolen, and in another we recovered a loaded shotgun following pursuit of a stolen vehicle.

“Those charged now face the judicial process while our inquiries into a number of other linked investigations will continue."

In a statement, Bedfordshire Police said 16 arrests had been made and more than 100 wraps of Class A drugs, and four stolen cars, seized.

"Following the arrests, officers secured a number of charges for violent offences including a domestic assault, threats to kill, strangulation and assaulting an emergency worker," said the statement.

"Charges were also brought in connection with burglaries, vehicle thefts and shoplifting."