Nine arrests after joint operation targeting cross-border criminals

Nine men were arrested after the latest operation targeting crime along Essex’s borders with London and Hertfordshire.

Operation Claymore is Essex Police-led but also involves officers from the Hertfordshire and Metropolitan police forces.

The cross-force team track down vehicles believed to be involved in crime using hits from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, supported by officers from the Operational Support Group (OSG), our dog, roads, and community policing teams, as well as the National Police Air Service (NPAS).

In Loughton, two men were arrested on suspicion of robbery, possession of drugs with intent to supply and possession of a bladed article after a man was threatened with a knife and told to hand over his car keys near the underground station. The pair were chased down and detained by officers who recovered weapons and 48 wraps of a Class A drug.

A visit to a unit officers suspected was being used to dismantled stolen cars in Navestock led to two arrests for vehicle theft, handling stolen goods and possession of a bladed article.

Further proactive stops led to a man wanted on suspicion of rape being arrested by OSG officers, and a man being detained on suspicion of being involved in the supply of drugs after his car was tracked down and pulled over.

A pursuit that started in that started in Essex after an ANPR hit flagged a vehicle as using cloned number plates ended in London with two arrests, and another man was arrested in Hertfordshire on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and the possession of drugs with intent to supply.

In total, the team recovered ten stolen vehicles, carried out eight stop searches and submitted seven pieces of intelligence.

This the tenth time the operation has taken place and so far it has led to 75 arrests, 138 stop searches, 42 vehicles being recovered or seized, and 107 pieces of intelligence being gathered.

Superintendent Phil Stinger, Head of Specialist Operations, said Op Claymore was creating a hostile environment for organised criminal gangs.

“We know that criminals travel between force areas to commit offences. By working with our neighbours and sharing intelligence, we are severely limiting the ability of these groups to operate.

“We understand the impact that car theft and drug dealing have on communities. By hunting down and arresting those responsible, we are sending a clear message to anyone involved in this type of criminality.

“When incidents and ANPR hits were reported, our officers' quick and decisive actions saw suspects linked to a number of serious offences apprehended.”

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