Massive police operation to tackle drugs and fake goods in Merseyside

Feb 1 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYSIDE Police uncovered 13,000 counterfeit DVDs and PlayStation games, almost £50,000 in cash and a professional cannabis farm in dawn raids yesterday.

Houses in the Breck Road and Anfield area were targeted by more than 70 officers in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Operation Snowball saw a wave of police activity starting with raids on seven houses where 10,000 counterfeit DVD’s and 3,000 PlayStation games worth £4,000 were discovered in a pirate DVD factory.

Two men and a woman were also arrested for suspected money laundering after almost £50,000 in cash was recovered from one house.

Police stopped buses and used a portable metal detector and metal-detecting gloves to search passengers for weapons.

In the final phase of the operation, officers joined partner agencies to descend on residential streets looking for counterfeit goods, truants, illegal diesel, unpaid television licences, and illegal power supplies.

Members of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the department of work and pensions, Scottish Power and television licensing door-knocked Rydal Street in a show of force against illegal activity.

Police also raided a house off Fountains Road in Kirkdale.

The semi-detached, rigged with external cameras, turned out to be home to hundreds of cannabis plants.

Rooms were sealed and powered by a complex wiring system powered by 30 small car-battery style generators.

A Vietnamese man was taken away for questioning.

Superintendent John Myles, joint head of the anti-social behaviour task force, said: “Today has shown the impact of total policing on crime. These believe anti-social behaviour is a way of life and have felt the full consequences of their behaviour.

“As a result the local community can feel assured Merseyside Police do take their concerns seriously and act upon any information they give us.”

Police action in the Anfield area during the past eight weeks has cut the number of anti-social incidents by 63%, with the number of repeat victims falling by 96%.

Supt Myles said: “Targeting an area with total policing gives the community a bespoke service where they have access to all our partner agencies and has led to 22,000 less incidents each year.

“Sometimes we as police don’t have the power to enter premises, but by working with these agencies they have the power to prosecute.

“Another key to success is using profits of crime to recoup assets. Many criminals don’t mind serving time, but don’t like coming out to find they don’t have their car, money or house.”

laurasharpe