Cash, drugs and two machetes have been taken out of the hands of suspected criminals after persistent PCs trusted their instinct.
Shortly before 8.30pm on Tuesday (February 23) officers were on patrol in the Heaton Gardens area of South Shields when she noticed an occupant of a vehicle acting suspiciously.
As the marked police car approached, a black Volvo swiftly made off in the opposite direction – which roused the officers’ suspicion.
They followed the vehicle in question towards the Biddick Hall estate before it eventually came to a stop on Galsworthy Road.
The suspect was asked to get out of the car, and a subsequent search of the vehicle led officers to discover £3,000 in cash inside which is believed to be associated with criminality.
The 26-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of concealing criminal property and taken into custody – and a search of an associated address in North Shields soon led to further discoveries.
While inside the property, police seized a further £3,000 along with drugs, two machetes and a suspected burner phone. Enquiries are ongoing into the discoveries.
Detective Chief Inspector Sean Mcguigan, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a fantastic result which came from PCs who saw something that didn’t look right – and took action.
“When the black Volvo swiftly made off after seeing the police car, we followed it – and it became clear that they were driving around in circles to try and lose their tail.
“Unfortunately for the occupant, the officers involved showed no interest in letting him get away and their persistence resulted in significant seizures of cash, drugs and weapons that are all believed to be associated with serious criminality.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved on this job, and under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to detect and disrupt organised crime and ensure those involved are identified, detained and brought to justice.
“The public remain our eyes and ears in our communities, and we’d encourage anybody who sees any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods to report it to police.”
The man arrested has since been released under investigation. Enquiries are ongoing.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101. In an emergency or if a crime is happening, always ring 999.
