Police partnership work leads to £1 million drugs seizure

A man from Merseyside was stopped by West Mercia police on the 12^th of June 2023 as part of a joint operation run by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for Southern Wales, and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU).

The 45-year-old man from Liverpool was carrying 105kgs of Amphetamine with a street value of over £1 million pounds in the boot of his car.

Thanks to the collaborative work of Tarian, the NWROCU, Merseyside Police and West Mercia Police, the drugs were prevented from reaching their destination in South Wales and the man was charged and remanded.

Acting Detective Sergeant Rhys Richards, of Tarian, said: “This success was as a result of regional intelligence sharing and cross-force collaboration.

“Collaborative work of this nature enables us to tackle the trafficking of illegal items, such as drugs and cash right across the UK.”

Detective Inspector Steve Owens, County Lines Coordinator for the North West, said: “As a region which has two of the biggest exporters of drugs in the United Kingdom, it is crucial we work with forces and agencies through the country to identify those crime groups responsible, intercept their couriers and prevent the untold harm these drugs do to communities. This is an excellent example of the collaborative work that goes on every day to achieve this.”