Cumbria Constabulary urges public to help fight organised crime

Bags of drugs were recovered by officers

Drugs with a street value of £4m and more than £1.5m have been seized from crime groups in Cumbria, police said.

Officers said work to target drugs criminals, online offenders and those who exploit vulnerable people would continue, but they needed public help.

The man who heads Cumbria's Specialist Crime Unit said information was vital so police could take action.

Det Supt Ian Hussey said: "We need people to come forward with information and we will act on it."

"Cumbria is one of the safest places to live, but we're never complacent," he added.

"We don't have the gang culture seen in some big cities but serious organised crime cuts across county areas like county lines and online exploitation - they have no borders.

"For me if crime targets vulnerable people, it's important to work with the community to target it."

Det Supt Ian Hussey urged the public to speak to officers if they have been victims of crime

Over the past year, drugs warrants and stop-searches have resulted in drugs being taken out of circulation, offenders being sentenced and criminal enterprises dismantled by officers.

More than £500,000 has been returned to about 120 "vulnerable" victims of fraud and financial abuse in Cumbria, the force said.

In addition 108 children have been safeguarded and 38 arrests made as part of work carried out by the cyber and digital crime unit, which was set up in Spring 2019 and funded by Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall.