A crackdown on suspected rogue scrap metal dealers has led to 20 arrests by police across Greater Manchester today.
Greater Manchester Police and the British Transport Police executed a series of warrants at scrap metal dealers as part of Operation Alloy, an intelligence led operation to crack down on the dealings of stolen metal.
Raids were executed in scrapyards in Rochdale, Bury, north Manchester, Oldham, Bolton and Salford whilst those arrested remain in police custody for questioning.
Superintendent Craig Thompson, who leads Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Alloy team, said: “Since Operation Alloy was launched more than two years ago, we have made huge inroads into tackling metal theft.
“However, despite a sharp drop in incidents of metal theft, we know there is still a culture that exists among thieves who believe they can off-load stolen metal onto scrapyards.”
Officers also searched the home addresses of those arrested with further searches at a number of partner agencies.
Superintendent Thompson said: “Any scrapyard dealer who knowingly accepts stolen goods or pays cash for metal is propagating this cycle of criminality, creating a market for thieves for prosper, and that is exactly why we have taken this action today.”
Operation Alloy, initiated in 2011, was recording incidents of up to 900 per month but that figure has now dropped to around 200 per month.
Chief Superintendent Pete Mason, BTP’s North West Area Commander, said: “Today’s warrants are the culmination of a year-long joint investigation into the trade in stolen metal across Greater Manchester.
“Thankfully, during the past 12 months, there have been significant reductions in the number of thefts recorded – due, in part, to legislative change which has gone hand in hand with enforcement activity under Operation Alloy.”
Steve Cox, future network manager for Electricity North West, said: “We are investing a lot of money and resources into putting a stop to metal theft in our region once and for all, but we would still urge people to get in touch if they hear or see anything suspicious.”
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