Two arrested after dozens of weapons seized from Prestwich house

Two men have been arrested and dozens of weapons seized from a house in Prestwich by officers dedicated to GMP's operation to tackle organised crime in Salford.

Around 45 weapons, including bladed weapons, imitation firearms and a crossbow, were recovered during a house search in the Rainsough area on Sunday afternoon.

Patrols from Operation Naseby - GMP’s dedicated operation into tackling serious and organised crime in Salford - were driving through the Swinton area on Sunday 3 January when they stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved in class A drug supply.

A 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

A subsequent house search in the Rainsough area of Prestwich was conducted and numerous weapons were recovered - 32 swords and knives; 12 imitation firearms; and a crossbow.

Also seized were a large quantity of class A drugs estimated to be worth between £15,000 and £20,000.

A second man - aged 55 - was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Both men have been questioned by officers and released pending further enquiries.

Forensic examinations of all the items recovered by police are underway.

The work is part of Op Naseby's disruption hub - formed in April 2020 to reduce the activity of local organised crime groups.

Since the inception of the disruption hub, there have been 144 arrests, 147 vehicles recovered, and 59 house searches.

Detective Inspector Rebecca Mills, of GMP's Salford district, said: "This is a substantial recovery of weapons and class A drugs, as we continue to tackle the serious and organised crime that can have such a devastating impact on our communities in Salford.

"Our dedicated officers have been working thoroughly as part of the Op Naseby disruption hub for the last nine months in order to gain results such as this and we will not relent while perpetrators of such crime remain at large.

"While we have been working immensely hard as part of this operation, it is important not to forget the importance of members of the public continuing to contact us in confidence with any information about suspicious or concerning activity so we can act on it and take the necessary action."

Anyone with information is encouraged to directly contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.