Four arrested in Darlington as part of continued efforts to stamp out money laundering and drug supply

Four arrested in Darlington as part of continued efforts to stamp out money laundering and drug supply.

Under Operation Sentinel, last Thursday (December 5), officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU), with the support of Durham Constabulary and the National Crime Agency (NCA), carried out three targeted warrants.

The addresses on Whessoe Road, Hartlea Avenue and North Road, were all in the Darlington area and resulted in the arrest of three suspects and over £90,000 of assets and cash being seized.

Two men aged 44 and 66, and a 64-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of money laundering, importation of cannabis and cannabis cultivation. The three suspects have since been released on police bail while the investigation continues.

Evidence gathered from this strike also led to the arrest of a fourth suspect later that day, a 38-year-old man, and a large cannabis farm being uncovered.

The 38-year-old man has since been charged with production of a Class B controlled drug. He has been remanded into custody awaiting his next appearance in January next year.

Speaking after this latest activity, Detective Constable Micheal Hanratty, of NEROCU’s Disruption Team, praised officers for continuing to take robust action against suspected criminality in our region.

DC Hanratty said: “Nobody wants this type of criminality happening in their community and, as shown time and time again, it can lead to a range of other issues such as violence and exploitation.

“This was another case of fantastic teamwork between NEROCU, NCA and Durham Constabulary and we hope this once again shows the commitment to tackling organised crime that we have here in the North East- whatever form it takes.

“We know profits from drugs like Cannabis are often then invested in wider organised crime such as Class A drug supply, firearms, modern slavery and child sexual exploitation. Work like this is crucial in our fight to tackle organised crime.”

Sergeant James Woodcock, part of NEROCU’s Proactive Economic Crime Team, added: “Anyone believed to be laundering money for organised criminals will see the full extent of the law.

“The source of that money comes from the exploitation of adults, children and from violence across the region and if you enable that then you are just as responsible.

“I implore anyone that has intelligence or information regarding those that launder money to report it and to put an end to those that benefit from other people’s misery.

“We will continue to work with our partners under Operation Sentinel to dismantle the criminal groups who try to profit from the sale and supply of illegal drugs, as well as those laundering money and contributing to the funding of organised crime.”

If you have any information about drug supply, you can report it to your local police or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.