Weapons and drugs seized as police carry out raids to crack down on organised crime in Tameside

Operation AVRO, which targets organised crime, returned to Tameside with weapons and drugs seized in a series of early morning raids.

Council enforcement officers joined Greater Manchester Police on the day of action, where police made 41 arrests in total.

Warrants were conducted on the Stanhope estate in Droylsden, resulting in a large quantity of drugs and weapons being seized.

A large cannabis farm was discovered on Katherine Street in Ashton, with three men arrested on suspicion of growing cannabis.  

Trading standards officers, joined by police and sniffer dogs, seized a large quantity of counterfeit goods and illicit vapes and tobacco products from three of the premises in Ashton. Investigations are continuing. Trade in illicit goods supports crime rings and the products can also be unsafe and pose a danger to the public.

Licensing officers worked with the police to carry out roadside safety checks on taxis, private hire vehicles and vehicles carrying waste. All vehicles checked were found to be compliant.

Meanwhile, community safety officers held stalls and attended events in Hyde town centre, Ashton town centre, Tameside College and Dukinfield and Droylsden libraries, to give advice on personal safety, crime prevention and road safety. The council also worked with partners to hold a domestic abuse awareness coffee morning in the Women and Families Centre in Ashton.

Tameside Council Executive Leader Cllr Gerald Cooney said: “It's great to see another successful Operation Avro day of action, which supports our wider multi-agency work to take a robust, collaborative approach to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour issues of concern to our local community.

"This work is ongoing, and our officers continue to be out every day serving our local communities, building safer, more resilient neighbourhoods and improving local people’s lives.”

Chief Supt Chris Foster, commander for Tameside, said: "Operation AVRO is a large-scale operation where we bring police resources from the whole of Greater Manchester together to support our communities. 

"As well as the raids, we provided high-visibility proactive patrols around hotspot locations including Ashton town centre and Clarendon Square Shopping Centre, while the Tactical Mounted Unit went out on patrols around Hyde town centre.

"I would like to thank Tameside residents that took the time to speak to our officers, provide positive feedback about our operation and engage with us. Your support is hugely appreciated."