LAW breakers who couldn’t resist the lure of coming home for Christmas have been caught cold by police at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport.

During a day-long operation – appropriately named ‘Turn-Up – officers arrested two people for drug importation after finding a large quantity of cannabis on an in-bound flight from Amsterdam which led to subsequent raids on a house in Merseyside.

Officers at the airport dealt with five others for the possession of controlled drugs.

Hailing the joint initiative between the courts and police a “resounding success” Superintendent Phil Barr from the Merseyside force revealed that officers had also:

seized two cars attempting to gain entry to the airport.

recovered a large quantity of cash from a known Liverpool-criminal under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

arrested seven people for public order offences.

arrested one passenger who had to be evicted by police from an aeroplane for being drunk and disorderly.

forced three people with outstanding court fines to pay up or face arrest.

stopped and checked a total of 469 passengers.

Supt Barr said the force had launched the operation at the airport’s busiest time of year to target wanted people and to also show criminals that Liverpool was not a weak exit and entry point to the UK.

He said: “Merseyside’s criminal justice agencies are determined to work together in cracking down on offenders who have failed to appear at court and I am determined to bring people to justice who skip bail or fail to pay fines.

“Just as we have been working hard to deny criminals the use of our roads, so too we are denying them access to our regional airports.

“People who have committed crimes or not paid fines will still try and get back home for Christmas and we specifically targeted the airport yesterday as we knew it would be busy with Christmas traffic.

“We were particularly pleased with the drug arrests and in seizing a large quantity of cash from a well-known Liverpool criminal.

“But we were equally pleased with the response we had from the public who were reassured that we were on patrol at the airport.

“Criminals need to know that Liverpool will not be the easy option to get in or out of the UK and we will be doing similar operations in conjunction with JLA in the future.”

Robin Tudor, JLA spokesperson, said: “We are only too happy to work closely with Merseyside police and have given every assistance to them to make this operation successful.

“It is very important for us here at JLA to set a good example of how smaller regional airports are not easy access or exit points to the UK.

“It is not just the big gateway airports such as Heathrow or Gatwick that are tightly policed and strictly controlled.

“Liverpool airport is not an easy option.

“We are delighted that this operation gas been very successful and reassured many of the passengers who choose to use JLA.”

Operation Turn-up is part of Merseyside Criminal Justice Board’s commitment to bringing more offences to justice and to enforce orders of the court.

Merseyside Criminal Justice Board partners brought more than 43,000 offenders to justice in the 12 months to October 2007.

Supt Barr added: “I would urge any person who knows that they are wanted, to give themselves up, or risk spending Christ-mas in a Police cell.

“We are using every method at our disposal to track them down and bring them before the courts.”

carolineinnes