Major North Yorkshire Police operation to feature in TV documentary

6 June 2011

A hugely successful North Yorkshire Police operation targeting stolen goods in the York area will feature in a television documentary next week.

Operation Maelstrom was carried out over several months last year to infiltrate crooks involved in the stolen property market.

A raid carried out during the operation will feature on the Discovery Channel’s ‘Britain’s Toughest Cops’ on 13 June at 10pm

The operation resulted in the recovery of £68,000 worth of stolen property with £28,500 worth returned to the rightful owners. Almost 200 victims of crime have had their stolen property returned to them.

During several raids which were carried out as part of the operation, two cannabis farms were found, and in another case, a child was found to be at risk and was placed under emergency protection.

63 people were arrested and 59 of these were charged with a total of 172 offences ranging from burglary, arson, theft, handling stolen goods, possession of offensive weapons, supplying and conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs.

Detective Inspector Matt Walker of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Operation Maelstrom was a great success in terms of disrupting and infiltrating the stolen goods market in the York area. Local criminals know only too well that North Yorkshire Police is on to them and are now constantly looking over their shoulders wondering whose door is the next one to be opened by the arrest teams.

“It also demonstrates our continued commitment to relentlessly pursue individuals who are committing offences at the expense of law abiding people. No crime is a small crime and stealing property that someone has worked hard to pay for is completely unacceptable.”

Notable arrests under the operation

A number of youths operating in the Tang Hall area of York were charged with 69 offences relating to £15,950 worth of stolen goods. They were sentenced to over 100 hours community service and supervision orders.

Another group of five men aged between 19 and 31, who were prevalent in the Kexby and Tang Hall area and were responsible for stealing cars, theft from vehicles and burglary, were charged with offences ranging from conspiracy to steal, theft and vehicle theft. They were sentenced at York Crown Court in March to a total of four years’ imprisonment, 400 hours’ unpaid work with one of the gang disqualified from driving for two years.

Another man, aged 46, was charged with five burglaries and nine handling stolen goods offences totalling £3,033. He received a suspended 26 week prison sentence with 300 hours unpaid work and six months’ community and supervision order.

A number of people across York were identified as suppliers of both Class A and Class B controlled drugs.In particular, a 22-year-old York man who frequents the Clifton area was charged with supplying a Class A controlled drug.

A 20-year-old man from the Tang Hall area was charged with three offences of supplying class A controlled drugs, one offence of possession of a Class A controlled drug and two offences of handling stolen goods. He was dealt with at York Crown Court on 07 January 2011 and sentenced to nine months’ suspended prison sentence and a two-year supervision order.

 

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