10 people have been arrested and around £30,000 cash has been seized during a number of early morning drug raids across Greater Manchester and the North West.
In what is as part of the ongoing ‘Operation Heartwood’ – which targets the supply of drugs across the North of England – Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has this week confirmed that officers broke down the doors of 13 properties in Middleton, Heywood and North Manchester, as well as in Lancashire and West Yorkshire.
The raids were said to have taken place at 6am on Wednesday (27 July).
During the successful raids, a total of 10 men, all between the ages of 34 and 54, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
They were taken into custody, where they remain for questioning, GMP confirmed.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We’re really pleased with the result from warrants executed by our Serious and Organised Crime Group, across three counties,” said Detective Inspector Justin Bryant, of GMPs Serious and Organised Crime Group.
“Operation Heartwood was launched in response to intelligence received about an organised crime group based in Middleton, who we discovered to be running a large scale drugs conspiracy from several addresses in the area [and] as a result of the investigation, three people have already been arrested and subsequently charged with drug supply offences and we will continue to work until every member of this crime group is brought to justice.
ADVERTISEMENT
“As well as the arrests made, we also seized approximately £30,000 in cash, as well as high value jewellery and a cash counting machine.”
Approximately £30,000 in cash was also seized during the early-morning raids / Credit: GMP
“I hope these arrests will reassure the public that we are committed to making our local communities safer for everyone by disrupting this type of serious criminality,” he continued.
“We understand the impact that drug dealing has on our communities and it won’t be tolerated.”
ADVERTISEMENT
GMP says it welcomes and relies on information from the public “to help us to disrupt crime”, so anyone with any information is encouraged to contact 101, use the Live Chat facility here, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
29th July 2022 
