Four people have been arrested in Ripon as part of a major North Yorkshire Police operation targeting organised crime across the county.
The arrests were made during 'Super Tornado', a large-scale day of action on Wednesday (15th October) which saw 36 people detained county-wide, including suspects in York, Selby, Malton, Scarborough and Eastfield.
In Ripon, three men aged 28, 29 and 40, and a 38-year-old woman were detained during simultaneous drugs warrants across the area.
All four were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs.
The operation, led by North Yorkshire Police and supported by multiple partner agencies, was focused on tackling organised and retail crime. In total, 12 warrants were executed and £4,000 in cash, stolen property, weapons and drugs were seized.
Elsewhere in the county, arrests were made in York where officers detained a 42-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy in the Chapelfields area after a drugs warrant. In Selby, a 24-year-old woman was arrested following the discovery of cash and suspected Class B drugs at her home. In Malton, a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs.
Several arrests also took place in Scarborough, including two suspected shoplifters and three people held on suspicion of drug supply offences after simultaneous warrants in the town centre. In Eastfield, officers stopped a 34-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and driving while disqualified.
Deputy Chief Constable Scott Bisset from North Yorkshire Police said:
“This operation has been one of the biggest that the force has ever seen and I’m pleased to say it was a huge success.
“Not only has it disrupted and dismantled a significant amount of organised criminality, but it has reinforced the message to the public that we are on their side.
“We remain committed to working closely with partner agencies to relentlessly pursue and disrupt those who attempt to use North Yorkshire as a base for their criminal intentions.”
The day also saw Immigration Enforcement teams carry out 18 visits across Skipton, Harrogate, York and Scarborough, leading to seven arrests for illegal working and four businesses issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices.
North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, British Transport Police, HMRC, Border Force, and both the York and Harrogate Business Improvement Districts took part in the operation, which also focused on intercepting shoplifters and identifying businesses potentially involved in money laundering.
A digital display vehicle highlighting wanted suspects toured Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, helping generate new leads for ongoing investigations.
Superintendent Lisa Maslen, from the National Business Crime Centre, said:
“North Yorkshire Police’s Super Tornado is a great example of police, businesses, and partner agencies working together to keep retail crime on the agenda and deliver positive outcomes to those experiencing retail crime in their communities.
“Intercepting shoplifters and engaging with retailers on how to keep their staff, stock and stores safe is community policing at its best.”
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