Officers make 17 arrests in relation to firearms discharges as firearm and dangerous weapons taken off the streets of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have made 17 arrests and recovered a firearm and multiple weapons in response to firearms discharges in Oldham and Cheetham Hill. The incidents, occurring between October 25 and December 8, 2024, led to 13 arrests in Oldham, with drugs and a shotgun seized. A separate incident in Cheetham Hill resulted in four arrests for conspiracy to commit murder. GMP highlights its proactive approach, noting 232 firearms seized over three years and nearly 500 years in prison sentences for offenders. The force urges public cooperation to combat firearms-related crime.
Greater Manchester Police have arrested 17 people and seized a shotgun, drugs and other weapons after a spate of four firearms incidents in Oldham between 25 October and 8 December 2024, while a separate shooting in Cheetham Hill left one man with a leg injury.
Detectives believe three of the Oldham discharges may be connected; 13 arrests have already been made and warrants have taken a large quantity of drugs and a shotgun off the streets. In the unrelated Cheetham Hill attack on Woodlands Road on 4 December, a man was shot in the leg and later walked into hospital for treatment. Four men aged 26, 32, 21 and 18 were subsequently arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, have been bailed, and the 32-year-old has been recalled to prison for unrelated matters.
The arrests form part of a wider crackdown that has seen officers seize 232 firearms from criminals across Greater Manchester over the past three years and secure almost 500 years of prison sentences for some of the region’s most dangerous offenders. Between 2020 and 2023, GMP recovered 58% of all firearms taken off the streets in the North West.
Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop, Head of Serious Organised Crime, said: “Our unwavering commitment to targeting individuals involved in serious violence and firearms-related crime remains strong. We have managed to arrest 13 individuals in relation to three discharges in Oldham that we believe may be linked and have taken a large number of dangerous weapons off the streets. There has been a rise in firearms incidents around specific parts of Oldham and our investigations into these remain ongoing, with specialist investigators and resources dedicated to undertaking a number of warrants and other enforcement activity across Greater Manchester.”
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