Operation Venture in Oldham: Catching stolen mopeds, uncovering hidden drugs in cannisters and busting established drug lines
Operation Venture, a team tackling serious violence in Oldham, conducted a two-week deployment in late November and early December 2024, resulting in 18 arrests, seizure of drugs and cash, recovery of stolen vehicles, and removal of weapons. The operation focused on high-visibility and covert tactics to address crime linked to drug lines, uninsured vehicles, and violent incidents.
Operation Venture officers seized £5,000 worth of drugs, arrested 18 suspects and removed nine vehicles from Oldham’s streets during a two-week blitz targeting serious violence at the end of November and start of December 2024.
The specialist unit, supporting Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit, deployed an inspector, two sergeants and 12 officers who used both covert and high-visibility tactics to tackle offenders in the act. Their operation yielded 17 positive stop searches, 32 intelligence submissions for ongoing investigations, £2,000 cash seized, two weapons recovered and nine weapon sweeps of parks linked to crime.
The deployment focused on protecting fast food delivery drivers who had been targeted at knifepoint for cash and goods in recent incidents. Officers uncovered drug operations disguised in everyday items, including a Lynx deodorant canister filled with narcotics.
Key arrests included five men stopped in a vehicle linked to suspected burglaries, three people caught with 10 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin near Horsedge Street, and two men in their 20s detained after riding a stolen moped. The team also intercepted drug deals involving 100 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, and arrested a 28-year-old driver found with two large bags of cocaine and ketamine following a pursuit.
Sergeant Mohammed Waqas of Operation Venture said: “As you can see from our deployment it was a busy few weeks in where our work uncovered uninsured vehicles linked to serious crime involving young men. It highlights our determination to patrol the streets we know well with intense pressure on suspected criminals to stop them in their tracks. We will be returning to Oldham unannounced to continue our proactive policing tactic of getting out there and tracking incidents before or as they happen to help keep communities safe. Our work is dependent on intelligence and part of this is assistance from members of the public who can report their concerns direct to 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
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