More than 20 people arrested as police target suspected criminals crossing border into Wigan

The last two nights have seen officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Wigan division, Lancashire Constabulary and Merseyside Police work together to target suspected criminals crossing the borders to commit offences in the borough.

With support from specialist branches – including tactical vehicle intercept unit, the dog unit, road policing officers and the drone unit – almost 100 officers flooded the main routes in and out of Wigan and Leigh.

It was not just a traffic operation, with police targeting drivers thought to be connected to an array of crimes, such as county lines drug dealing, burglary, organised crime and any vehicles flagged by automatic number plate recognition.

In total, 25 arrests were made for offences including possession of an offensive weapon, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, assault, public order and driving offences.

Supt Ian Jones said: “Our objectives were to deny the criminals, and anyone else who is out to harm the public, access to our roads, and these results speak for themselves.

"Working alongside our neighbouring forces, we show a united front against organised crime and reinforce the message that those using our roads to commit crime are not welcome in Wigan.

“Criminals don’t operate to borders, so neither will we.

"That’s why we’re working with our neighbouring forces and a range of local authorities, focusing our efforts on those coming into our communities to commit crimes.

“Our message is simple – if you want to use our roads to commit crime, it won’t be long before you see blue lights in your rear-view mirror and you’re on your way to our custody suite.

"This wasn’t a one-off operation; it was an extension of the excellent collaborative work we already do between forces on a daily basis to further prevent and disrupt criminals across the region.”

The work coincided with Operation Avro, where dozens of police officers and members of partner organisations joined forces for a high-profile day of action across the borough.

Police arrested more than 60 people and seized more than 3,000 illicit products.