Dozens of people suspected of keeping a notorious Manchester hotspot awash with illegal drugs have woken to the sound of police at their doors. Hundreds of officers were called up to search properties and arrest suspects believed to be dealing drugs in Piccadilly Gardens.
It follows a covert operation to track the movements of suspected drug dealers in Piccadilly Gardens as part of Operation Vulcan - the Greater Manchester Police project which is cracking down on crime in the area, having already transformed the area of Strangeways once known as 'Counterfeit Street'. Around 300 officers executed 23 warrants from 5am today (May 14).
In total, 22 men and two women - aged from 18 to 45 - have all been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. They remain in custody while their homes are being searched.
So far, around £10,000 in cash, hundreds of snap bags filled with drugs and several 'crucial' mobile phones and sim cards have all been seized. Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, who is leading Operation Vulcan, said: "The community have been telling us for a long time [that] drug dealing is rife in Piccadilly Gardens.
"It's a pre-cursor to a lot of other behaviour - violent disorders, anti-social behaviour. People go there unfortunately to buy and use drugs, which causes other criminality to flourish.
"So we want to stamp that out. We want to make sure that Piccadilly Gardens isn't a place where drug dealers can flourish. We want to make sure that they're taken out, and not welcomed back."
Operation Vulcan launched in the Piccadilly area last September, a year after the same project began in the Bury New Road area. That scheme saw counterfeit traders close their shutters, while officers cracked down on the illegal drug trade in the area.
GMP is now taking a similar approach in Piccadilly Gardens, which has long suffered with a reputation for drug abuse and criminal activity. Over the last six months, an undercover operation has been run by Vulcan and specialist officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, leading to this morning's arrests.
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Officers gathered for a briefing at 4.45am before being sent out in teams to carry out each warrants. After 5am, tactical aid unit vans arrived onto estates across Greater Manchester, as police forced their way into properties.
Many of the suspects police had identified were inside the properties and given a shock awakening. Each suspect was led away into a custody van, while officers combed their home for vital evidence.
Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, from Operation Vulcan, said: “This was a huge operation, using almost 300 officers from across the force, various covert tactics, and specialist resources from across the region. We know how deeply the drugs trade impacts our communities and the violence and depravity it brings with it, which is why we have launched such a major operation to tackle it.
"By arresting 24 people, I can confidently say we have dismantled and disrupted several different county lines and local drug networks. But we won’t be complacent, and this should be a warning for anyone who thinks criminal activity is welcome in our city.
“We want to make sure criminals are living a life of high anxiety, and I hope that anyone who considers coming to Piccadilly Gardens to deal drugs is constantly looking over their shoulder.”