18-year-old male arrested and two knives recovered by Operation Venture in Bury yesterday

Operation Venture were deployed to Bury yesterday (20 April 2023) to detect and deter serious violence and knife crime.

The dedicated team was set up in December 2022 and has been responding at a rapid pace to combat the threat of violent crime.

Whilst patrolling Radcliffe Town Centre yesterday morning (20 April 2023), officers in plain clothes sighted a male acting suspiciously. He was approached and, following a short pursuit, he was detained for a stop search.

Officers recovered a quantity of suspected Class A drugs worth approximately £1,000 and a concealed knife.

An 18-year-old male was subsequently arrested on suspicion of both possession of a bladed article and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Officers then conducted a further search of a nearby area and recovered a knife that appeared to have been hidden in the bushes and which was believed to be unconnected to the earlier incident.

Sergeant Paul Heap of Operation Venture said: "Every arrest made and knife seized is a fantastic result for the team as it means one more weapon taken off the streets of Greater Manchester. 

"Operation Venture is working hard to reduce violent crime and whilst the team are seeing great results we also rely on intelligence provided to us by members of the public.

"If you know someone is carrying a knife, please report it as soon as possible. We take reports of this nature very seriously and will act on every piece of information given. The information you have could help save lives."

You can make a report by calling 101 or via the LiveChat Function on GMP's website: www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, they also have an anonymous reporting function for 11-17 year olds via Fearless.org

In an emergency, always dial 999.