British police made more than 170 arrests during a three-day crackdown intended to take drugs and weapons off the streets.
According to the Metropolitan Police, more than 1,200 officers from several police forces took part in the operation on Jan. 17–19, resulting in 179 arrests, the recovery of 30 knives and other weapons, 40 drug seizures, 66 vehicle seizures, and the seizure of a total of £5,700 worth of cash.
The Met led the operation, working with Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, West Midlands, and British Transport Police to “deny criminals the effective use of arterial roads and rail networks as a means to carry weapons and drugs both in the capital, and into the surrounding counties.”
Operation Pandilla focused on arterial roads and motorways in and around London, including the M25, A406, M1, and A40, and used automatic number plate recognition and intelligence to target vehicles linked to violent crime, the Met said on Tuesday.
Joint Operation
Superintendent Emma Gulczynski said: “This operation was a joint effort between seven police forces, sharing proactive intelligence and enhancing existing relationship to target those involved in drug, gang, and weapon-based violence.“Tackling violent crime continues be a priority for the Met and this operation saw officers from Birmingham, all the way to the south coast, working closely to crackdown on those using the transport networks to facilitate their criminal activity.
“While removing drugs and weapons from the streets is paramount to keeping London and the county forces safe, safeguarding vulnerable individuals on the cusp of violence is also just as important.
“Some of those arrested exploit children and vulnerable people to help further their criminality and we remain committed to working with partners to identify people at risk of exploitation and provide them with the wrap-around support they require.”
The crackdown came just weeks after the Met said it had arrested almost 1,700 suspects—including violent criminals, drug dealers, and sex offenders—in London in a six-week operation.
Sweeping Reforms
It comes after new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley outlined sweeping plans to reform policing in London, including building a data-led list of tens of thousands of violent predators and strengthening neighbourhood policing.The reform plans were adopted after a damning review of disciplinary procedures by Baroness Casey found officers and staff were getting away with misconduct and breaking the law.
Rowley, who became Met commissioner in September last year, said on Jan. 10 that the force “must change” and had already got “a practical plan for turning things around.”
The Met chief said that under his watch, the police force has already begun the first steps to bring about change, including arresting more than 2,500 of the city’s key offenders, announcing an “Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command” and hotline, and arresting more than 130 people for drugs trafficking offences.
Police Misconduct
The Met has been plagued by a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens.It later emerged that Couzens had been sharing inappropriate sexual messages on a WhatsApp group, called Bottles and Stoppers, with other police officers.
Earlier this month, David Carrick, a former Metropolitan Police officer who served alongside Couzens, admitted to 49 counts of rape, false imprisonment, and indecent assault, relating to 12 women between 2003 and 2020.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the abuse of power “truly sickening” and said the police “must address the failings” and “restore public confidence.”
The Home Office also launched a review of the police disciplinary system to make sure officers who “are not fit to serve the public” and “fall short of the high standards expected of them” can be sacked.
More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have previously been accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences are having their cases reviewed.
