24 people have been arrested in one of the biggest dawn raids to tackle organised crime in Salford.
Over 200 officers took part in the raids on 25 addresses under Operation Damson, part of Project Gulf, which challenges guns drugs, and cash in organised Salford gangs.
In the early hours of this morning, Wednesday 9 September, teams carried out targeted busts on houses across Salford, said Greater Manchester Police.
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Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The raids are the result of an intelligence-led operation conducted over a number of months by the Serious Crime Division, into offences such as supplying firearms and drugs.”
Searches at a number of properties are still ongoing this morning, said police.
Among the property seized were a large cannabis farm and three stolen motorbikes.
Deputy Chief Constable Hopkins said the raids had been “a great success” for the force and local communities in Salford.
He said: “The fight against serious organised crime in Greater Manchester is stronger than ever, thanks to round-the-clock disruption under Programme Challenger and our specialist divisional teams such as Project Gulf, who work on the ground to detect and destroy this criminality.
“Rest assured this is not a one-off, this is a sustained campaign to protect vulnerable people and bring those who exploit them to justice.
Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said: “Today’s action sends a strong and clear message to criminals that we will not allow them to instil fear in our communities – you will be hunted down and you will be brought to justice.
“This builds on the positive work to tackle organised crime across Salford, bringing together police, council, other agencies, and, importantly, residents who are proud of where they live. I urge local people to continue to support this work and help us build a stronger, safer Salford.”
Anyone with any more information on this incident is asked to call police on 0161 856 9775,101, or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
