Two arrested over alleged drug driving offences during police operation to tackle vehicle crime in Derbyshire

Between February 28 and March 3, policing teams in the Amber Valley district supported Operation Strax, which focused on vehicle crime related to hotel car parks close to the M1 in South Normanton, and Op Eskimo which focused on tackling vehicle crime in Heanor, Langley Mill and surrounding areas.

Derbyshire police said a team of plain clothes and uniformed officers patrolled these areas and were assisted by marked police vehicles.

Two men were arrested over drug driving offences as a result of the operation and a car was seized.

Sergeant Matt Brown from Belper, Heanor and Ripley SNT said: “During the four nights that these operations were active we performed hundreds of vehicle checks, received intelligence on vehicle crime in the area, and performed stop searches where appropriate.

“A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drug driving in Heanor after officers on patrol noticed a Seat Leon driving at excessive speed in Wellington Street.

“They stopped the car and found a number of bags of what was believed to be Cannabis within. The man was further arrested for possession with intent to supply Cannabis and has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.”

“Officers in Denby Village stopped a BMW 3 Series in Church Street after they noticed one of the front headlights was out. Following further inspection, the vehicle was seized as it had two illegal rear tyres.

“The 22-year-old driver was also arrested on suspicion of drug driving and has since been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue.”

“In South Normanton, officers on patrol saw a vehicle acting suspiciously in a hotel car park before finding it abandoned close by with suspected stolen items inside. Enquiries into this are currently ongoing.

“We will also be using intelligence gained during this period to target our work around vehicle crime going forward.”

Anyone that has been affected by vehicle crime should contact Derbyshire Constabulary using the contact details here.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you have footage that may be useful for officers, please ensure it is securely downloaded to another device and kept safely for them to view.

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