Blackpool women among seven arrested in fight against organised crime

A Blackpool man is among seven people who were arrested after a series of dawn raids in the fight against organised crime.

Five of the arrests were made during a series of co-ordinated raids at addresses in Carnforth, Preston and Blackpool on Tuesday morning.

Those arrested are a 22-year-old man from Carnforth, a 41-year-old man from Preston, a 36-year-old woman from Preston and two 39-year-old women from Blackpool. All five were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.

Two men of no fixed abode were also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Warrior, which is a countywide operation to disrupt and tackle organised crime.

Det Ch Insp James Edmonds, of the Serious Crime Team, said: “I hope that the continued Operation Warrior activity shows how committed we are to tackling serious and organised crime, which is a threat to communities across the county.

“It can take many forms including drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration, fraud and financial crime, counterfeiting, organised acquisitive crime, cybercrime and exploitation, all of which causes misery in our communities.

“Today during a series of raids we made seven more arrests and all seven people remain in custody while enquiries continue.

“We are committed to taking the fight to criminals and will leave no stone unturned when it comes to tackling serious crime.”

A police spokesperson said that as part of Operation Warrior, warrants and arrests are taking place on a weekly basis and a high-profile advertising campaign has led to more information coming in from members of the public, leaving no place to hide for offenders.

The spokesperson said that Operation Warrior is dedicated to bringing more offenders to justice as well as stripping them of their cash, cars and other assets.

It targets both individuals and gangs involved in crime, as well as associated issues such as violence and intimidation, large scale drug supply, exploitation and fraud.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Andrew Snowden, said: “I made taking the fight to organised crime gangs a top priority in my Fighting Crime Plan and the Constabulary is now delivering it with the full force of the law, with more officers on the front line, who are putting doors in and making arrests.

"Op Warrior is the force-wide operation that is stepping up the pressure in disrupting and dismantling these gangs - and the number of raids, arrests and drug seizures speak for themselves.

“I am also pleased to see an increase in intelligence coming from local neighbourhoods to support the fight against crime since the launch of our Op Warrior media campaign.

"Organised crime gangs are a blight on society as they bring fear, violence, drugs and exploitation into Lancashire and I would encourage anyone who has any information to come forward and report it to the police or anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.”

You can contact police by calling 101, reporting online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or ringing 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.