Officers have been relentlessly seeking out suspects across
the force since the start of December in order to crackdown on criminal
activity.
So far, several of those arrested as part of Operation
Trident have already charged and even sentenced.
Seven vehicles have been seized and a large amount of stolen
property, including mountain bikes, mobile phones, quad bikes and garden
machinery has been recovered.
Cocaine with the street value of
£10,000, cannabis and drug paraphernalia were recovered from Consett, and
£20,000 cash and an imitation firearm were located in a property in Consett
The operation has also led to the recovery of more than 100
Cannabis plants from Close House, near Bishop Auckland. This incident led to
two Vietnamese nationals being safeguarded having been forced to work as
modern-day slaves.
Social media appeals in the style of “Zoom” calls have
resulted in a significant number of wanted people being located thanks to help
from members of the public and some of those featured even handed themselves in
after seeing the posts.
In addition, officers have been out and about offering crime
prevention advice where needed, particularly relating to vehicle crime.
Officers have been trying car doors in problem areas and
reminding owners about the need to secure their vehicles and not leave anything
valuable on display.
Detective Superintendent Lee Gosling, of Durham
Constabulary, said: “We have made a great start to Operation Trident, but rest
assured, we will continue to use all the powers at our disposal to disrupt the
unacceptable work of opportunist thieves. – not just theft.
“Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to bring harm and
suffering on innocent people in our communities will be dealt with robustly.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public
for their continued help and support. Your information and pieces of
intelligence are invaluable to the work we do.”
To report anything suspicious in your area call Durham
Constabulary on 101, or 999 in an emergency.