Knife crime team stops lead to multiple charges and arrests

A large drugs haul and half a dozen blades have all been taken off the streets – thanks to the city knife crime team.

The specialist team of officers made the discoveries while carrying out separate patrols across different parts of Nottingham.

Around half a kilo of cannabis was uncovered first up, after the team spotted a suspicious vehicle driving through Bulwell and decided to follow it.

Shortly after the car parked up in Hucknall Lane, officers witnessed a man ride up to the vehicle on a pushbike and take a large bag from inside.

At this point, the suspect spotted the police and attempted to run but didn’t get far before he was caught by pursuing cops who also seized a bag he was carrying.

Around £5,000 worth of cannabis was found inside the bag following the stop, which happened at around 4pm on Thursday (19 January).

Following further inquiries, a search was then carried out of an address linked to the car officers had followed, which led to the seizure of cocaine and a large amount of cash.

Three people – two men aged 25 and 26, and a 22-year-old woman – were all arrested for drug offences.

The two male suspects were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs, while the female suspect was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.

Conan Greatorex, of Homestead Close, Loughborough was also charged with driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, following the stop.

The 26-year-old appeared before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday (20 January), where he was sentenced to three months in prison and was banned from driving for two years.

A day after the drugs seizure (20 January), the city knife crime team were patrolling the Radford area at around 5pm when they spotted a group acting suspiciously.

Officers then stopped a taxi as it was leaving Wilton Road, where the group had been hanging out, and carried out a search of two suspects and the inside of the vehicle.

These searches then led to the discovery of six knives, which were all seized by the team.

As a result, two 16-year-old boys were arrested and later charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The suspects, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are set to appear before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 1 February 2023.

PC Dan Mottishaw, of Nottinghamshire Police’s city knife crime team, said: “Proactive stop and searches like the ones carried out in both these incidents are a key tactic we use on a daily basis as a team.

“While taking knives off the streets is obviously our primary aim, we are also always on the lookout for anyone who could potentially be a knife-carrier, such as those involved in drug activity.

“By carrying out visible and plain-clothed patrols of targeted areas, the hope is that we’ll be able to disrupt, deter and ultimately detain anyone involved in these offences and other forms of criminality.

“Thanks to these patrols and the effective use of stop and search powers, on this occasion we were able to seize half a dozen knives before they could do any damage, while also taking a large quantity of illicit drugs out of circulation.

“We don’t want to see any knives or drugs on our streets and are committed as a team to continue doing whatever we can to try and root out anyone carrying out these offences from our communities.”