Several pairs of trainers were seized
Several pairs of trainers were seized(Image: Merseyside Police)
View 6 Images
Several pairs of Nike 110s, a Parajumpers jacket, an electric motorbike and a designer watch are among items seized by police during an expansive operation in Anfield. Around 300 officers descended on the area this morning (Wednesday, March 4) as they conducted more than 30 warrants across addresses believed to be linked to criminal activity in the area.
Before the sun rose, 230 officers gathered at Merseyside Police Headquarters on Cazneau Street shortly after 5am where they prepared for a morning of breaking down doors. They were briefed at 6am before they rolled out in a large convoy through north Liverpool to several addresses where they executed 36 warrants in the hunt for 46 named suspects.
At 7am, doors across Anfield went in, with several going through in the Stanley Road area where a cannabis farm was discovered.
The raids across north Liverpool were part of Operation Vanguard which has seen a swathe of officers lock down the area and flush out criminality as forceful warrants were carried out.
By midday, Merseyside Police arrested 34 people in the large-scale operation, with suspects detained on suspicion of offences including possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs, sexual offences and possession of indecent images.
Police vehicles at Merseyside Police headquarters this morning
Police vehicles at Merseyside Police headquarters this morning(Image: PA)
View 6 Images
Officers seized drugs, thousands of pounds in cash, a Sur-ron e-bike, designer watches, three machetes, designer clothing and trainers at addresses across north Liverpool, with the operation expected to continue into the evening.
Land searches and roadside checks have also been carried out throughout the day.
Speaking to the ECHO, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Rob Carden explained Anfield was "lucky" to be the area picked at random for the crackdown.
In a warning to criminals, he said: "It was Anfield's turn [for Operation Vanguard].
"Anfield got lucky, there are issues right across Merseyside and Anfield came out the hat. Anfield gets the attention today.
A Parajumpers jacket was also seized during the raids
A Parajumpers jacket was also seized during the raids
View 6 Images
A Parajumpers jacket was also seized during the raids(Image: Merseyside Police)
"It might be somewhere else next time, it might be Anfield again, but it's a big region. Like every region there are challenges right throughout the area. It's just Anfield's turn today to get a bit of TLC."
He added: "Planning has already started on the next Vanguard which would be very, very different to this one. We're trying to freshen up [the operation], do different things each time, but equally big operations in a different format.
"The plan starts weeks, sometimes months, before. A lot of intelligence work, a lot of research on the properties and the offenders."
The raids unfolded just weeks after "pink cocaine" was discovered in a house in Anfield last month, with the drug reportedly found in the system of One Direction star Liam Payne after his death and now on the streets of Merseyside.
A Tag Heuer watch seized by police
A Tag Heuer watch seized by police(Image: Merseyside Police)
View 6 Images
Pink cocaine, also known as tuci or tucibi, consists of a cocktail of different substances, including ketamine, MDMA and caffeine. It usually does not contain cocaine, despite the name. The party drug originated in Colombia around the mid-2010s and made its way into the UK around 2020.
Dealers are converting excess ketamine into the drug in a "deliberate remarketing" exercise, according to Harry Sumnall, Professor of Substance Use at the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University who spoke to the ECHO last month.
When questioned about the discovery, Chief Constable Carden explained the importance of getting ketamine off the streets of Merseyside.
He said: "It's not just synthetic drugs, it's also ketamine., ketamine is another one that's a particular concern.
An officer during the operation today(Image: merseyside police)
View 6 Images
"It was a class C drug in 2014, now it's a class B. The effects of using ketamine, which is readily available, show late when the horse has bolted in terms of people's health. It's not just new drugs, it's old drugs as well.
"Any unlawful drugs that have a public safety impact and are illegal, we've got to be in for all of those.
"It's our job, we're not going to get rid of all the drugs but we've just got to carry on doing the best job we possibly can, making it difficult for drug dealers and keeping people safe."
Liverpool City Council leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: "It is essential that our communities feel safe in their homes and can enjoy everything their local area has to offer without worry or fear.
"We work closely with Merseyside Police throughout the year on a range of community safety initiatives that support residents and help prevent criminality. The action being taken by Merseyside Police today is vital to protecting our neighbourhoods and preventing harm.
An electric motorbike seized by police
An electric motorbike seized by police(Image: Merseyside Police)
View 6 Images
"I want to thank Merseyside Police and all our partners for their hard work and dedication in delivering this operation. To those involved in criminality, today’s activity demonstrates that there is no hiding place. The safety and wellbeing of our communities will always come first."
If you have any information which could help police prevent criminality in your area call 101, or contact police on social media @MerPolCC.
You can also report information via the police website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously In an emergency always call 999.