Operation AVRO returns to Bury, resulting in 30 arrests, 11 weapons seized and 127 traffic offences

A total of 30 arrests took place during Operation AVRO in Bury yesterday (Thursday 21 March 2024) for a variety of offences including burglary, possession with intent to supply class A drugs, breaches of a court order, and possession of firearms.

Early morning warrants took place in Radcliffe, Unsworth and Whitefield, uncovering large amounts of cash, drugs and weapons.

One warrant uncovered various bladed articles including machetes and zombie knives alongside an imitation firearm.

AVRO is a force-wide initiative that delivers a surge of extra resources and specialist officers to a different district within Greater Manchester each month.

The day saw GMP engage in a number of activities through proactive policework, tackling the issues which matter most to the community.

Officers from Bury’s Operation Challenger Team conducted a warrant at a property. Jordan Winstanley (01/04/1995) of Thorn View, Bury, was subsequently charged and remanded for possession of a controlled drug of class B (cannabis), conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class A (cocaine) and conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of class B (cannabis).

A traffic operation resulted in a total of 127 offences being recorded, with 71 traffic offences, 56 speeding offences, six prohibition notices, three vehicle seizures and one arrest. 30 traders were stopped and spoken to by Bury Trading Standards, of which 10 were advised in relation to their activities.

In partnership with Trading Standards, £12,000 of illegal goods were seized from premises, including 912 illegal vapes and 4,240 cigarettes.

The mounted unit patrolled in Bury town centre during the day while educational stalls around violence reduction were on offer near the knife angel.

To educate young people, hate crime awareness training was held at Gigg Lane and the police helicopter paid a visit to Chandlers Primary School.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hill, Commander for Bury, said: “Operation AVRO is our opportunity to intensify our resources across Greater Manchester by taking the fight to the criminal and keeping people in the borough of Bury safe.

“The only way we can take criminals off the streets is by information from the public, and all the activity we executed yesterday is all garnered in this way, so than you to those who have given us such intelligence.

“We’ve arrested 30 people, taken vehicles off the road and our actions, with help from our partners, have seen some significant results across the Bury district.”

What is Operation AVRO?

Operation AVRO is a force wide initiative that delivers extra resources and specialist officers to a different district within Greater Manchester each month and launched in Salford in October 2021.

Since then, it has travelled around the force with the operation targeting crimes and concerns that members of the public in that district have told GMP give them the most concern.

For more information, visit: Operation AVRO | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)