Dozens of arrests made in major police operation

PLYMOUTH COPS WORKED WITH OFFICERS FROM MERSEYSIDE

- CARL EVE

DOZENS of people have been arrested during a large police operation involving officers from both Devon and Cornwall Police and Merseyside Police, which uncovered criminals using unsuspecting people's homes to buy drugs.

Project Medusa, the city's third collaborative operation with specialist officers from Merseyside Police, targeted County Lines gangs from Liverpool who are operating in Plymouth. During the two-day operation, a range of policing departments took part, with many on the streets in plain clothes as well as those in uniform.

The key tactic deployed by the Project Medusa officers is their canny ability to "spot their own" - a knack of quickly identifying the Liverpudlian foot soldiers sent by gangs to set up shop in waterfront cities and towns in the South and South West of England police's Plymouth Detective Inspector Kev Morley headed the operation and reminded those gathered the aim was to create a "hostile environment for County Lines" using intelligence gathered from a wide range of sources.

Neighbourhood officers aided the Merseyside officers by effectively acting as chaperones, giving them vital information about their 'back yard! The operation was even joined by a representative of the Army, as well as exclusive access being given to The Herald.

Within minutes of the launch, Medusa officers stopped a vehicle on New Passage Hill, in Devonport, on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs. A man was arrested and a woman detained by officers, after the suspect's vehicle was boxed in by unmarked police cars.

A short while, later the whole of Cecil Street, in Stonehouse, was closed to traffic as officers in marked and unmarked cars stopped and searched another vehicle. A suspected lock knife was seized after officers examined the car, and a man was arrested.