The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), working with North West Police Forces and partners have made more than 500 arrests and seized over 800 kilograms of drugs in 2018.

The NWROCU are responsible for tackling serious and organised crime across the North West region, managing the threat posed from crime types such as firearms supply, county drugs lines, child sexual exploitation, cybercrime and modern day slavery.

In 2018, NWROCU officers, working with North West forces and partners, arrested over 500 people, secured jail sentences of over 1800 years, recovered almost 40 firearms, and seized 791 kilograms of Class A drugs and 43 kilograms of cannabis.

More than £1.5 million has also been confiscated by the unit from convicted criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Officers use a range of specialist tactics and work closely alongside police forces and partner agencies to disrupt dangerous offenders operating across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales.

Tony Creely, Head of the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “It’s been a really successful year for the North West ROCU in our fight against serious and organised crime across the region.

“We exist to tackle and take down the most serious, hardened and organised criminals who pose the more serious threat to our communities. Thanks to the hard work of our officers, officers within the North West police forces and partner agencies, a large number of prolific criminals will be spending Christmas behind bars and we’ve taken a significant quantities of drugs and illegal firearms off the streets.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our mission to protect the communities within the North West from serious and organised crime in 2019.”