An alleged Albanian drug cartel, suspected of supplying and selling cocaine in the city centre, has been smashed in a series of Greater Manchester Police dawn raids.
The 21 supposed gang members, including 18 men and three women, were arrested on suspicion of drugs, firearm and immigration offences during a GMP’s operation Loxton.
During the operation a kilogram of cocaine with a street value of £100,000 was seized along with two firearms, a silencer, ammunition and £30,000 in cash.
The investigation into the drugs ring, which has been ongoing for eight months, was carried out by the GMP North Manchester division’s Organised Crime Unite.
They have worked alongside officers from neighbourhood policing teams and immigration officers to ensure the success of this drugs crackdown and execute 17 warrants.
View MM’s picture gallery of the raid below:
Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry, Divisional Commander for North Manchester, said: “The Organised Crime Group we have targeted today lurks in our city’s shadows, peddling their drugs and preying on a wide spectrum of people living and visiting the region, many of whom are vulnerable.
“The robust action taken this morning was done with the sole intention of disrupting them and although we have made these arrests there is still an awful lot more work to be done.
“And we would encourage anyone with information about those involved in the sale and supply of drugs to come forward and work with us by telling us what you know.”
Mr Chaudhry also stated that cocaine is one of the most commonly used recreational illegal substances and he is not surprised to see a direct correlation between cocaine abuse and violence in the city centre.
He added: “Our multi-agency approach hopefully demonstrates to our communities that, we are committed to tackling organised crime across Manchester.
“In collaboration with our partner agencies, we aim to disrupt and dismantle such criminal groups, leaving no stone unturned as we seek to put a halt to their activities.
“During our peak demand times around the night time economy it is clear that cocaine driven violence has a huge impact on the policing resources in the city centre so tackling the root cause of the problem is obviously a top priority for us.”
To report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response call 101 or in case of an emergency, please call 999.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
