Officers in Sefton make arrests following day of activity

Yesterday (28^th May), officers were deployed to Sefton to carry out another #OpTarget deployment following recent firearms discharges.

The purpose of the day was to target those involved in gang criminality, use proactive policing tactics to gather evidence and provide reassurance to the wider public.

During the day, 12 people were arrested for offences including conspiracy to murder, possession of a controlled drug and possession with intent to supply drugs.

First, a 33 year old man was searched on Bedford Road where he was found with two wraps of suspected cocaine and one wrap of heroin hidden in his sock. A further search was carried out at his home where officers found more Class B drugs. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug.

Next, a 23 year old man was arrested after the Ford Fiesta he was driving was stop searched on Canning Road, Southport. Inside the car, officers found a carrier bag hidden in passenger foot well with 14 vacuum packed ounces of Cannabis. He was arrested and taken to custody for questioning.

Following this, officers investigating the murder of Michael Rainsford who was tragically shot on 7^th April arrested a further four people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Officers conducted simultaneous warrants at addresses on Akenside Street and Willard Drive where they arrested a 26 year old man and a 38 year old man. Officers also recovered a firearm which was taken away for testing. A 45 year old woman and a 22 year old man were then arrested at a property on Rossini Street. The four were all taken to custody as our investigations continue.

On the roads, 21 cars were also stopped across the area which resulted in four cars being sized for no insurance.

Sgt Kris Allinson said: “We are proactively targeting criminals who still think it is okay to cause misery in our communities, frightening or intimidating people.

“These deployments allow us to engage with the community whilst using a variety of tactics to spot criminals and bring them to justice.

“We are all living in a really strange time but our priorities have not changed. If you know someone involved in crime, we want to know about it. Help us keep Sefton as safe as it can be.”