More than 60 arrests and £20k worth of drugs seized during city centre Operation AVRO

Operation AVRO hit the City of Manchester district yesterday (Thursday 21 November 2024).

Warrants took place in Openshaw, Moston and Wythenshawe, with drugs, weapons and large quantities of cash recovered.

Officers made a total of 62 arrests yesterday for a range of offences including drug supply, possession of offensive weapons and robbery as part of Operation AVRO, the monthly GMP initiative that sees officers take the fight back to the criminals, providing high-visibility patrols and engaging with the community.

A vast quantity of stolen goods were seized from several properties, including a £20,000 class A drug seizure at a warrant on Potato Wharf, stolen goods recovered on Whitecliff Close and 54 electric bikes seized in the city centre.

In partnership with Trading Standards, a premises was visited in Gorton where £1,500 worth of illegal vapes and cigarettes were seized.

The operation also saw officers identify 219 traffic offences being committed. In total, 23 vehicles were seized and two traffic-related arrests were made.

High visibility patrols took place in the city centre, with patrols supporting a woman who used the ‘Ask for Angela’ process at a bar in the city.

Officers also engaged in prevention activity, with drugs talks delivered by School Engagement Officers at local schools, weapons sweeps and outreach work with partners.

City of Manchester officers worked closely with local councillors throughout the day. This included councillors attending the police briefing and several councillors accompanying police officers to observe ongoing Op AVRO activity and conducting walkarounds in their local areas with senior officers to highlight local issues that concern communities.

Chief Superintendent David Meeney, District Commander for the City of Manchester, said: “Operation AVRO is an opportunity for more officers to be on visible patrol across Manchester.

“The activity was based around issues that have been fed back from our communities, such as drug dealing and serious violence.

“Our resources were deployed across the whole district and we were really grateful for the feedback we received from members of the public throughout the day.”

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)