20 ARRESTED IN MAJOR MIDDLESBROUGH CRACKDOWN AFTER DEADLY A66 CRASH

MIDDLESBROUGH, UK — More than 130 police officers launched a major early-morning crackdown across Teesside after weeks of violence and the deadly A66 crash that claimed the lives of seven people, including two police officers.

The operation, known as Operation Artemis, saw officers raid properties in South Bank, Grangetown and Eston on September 21 as part of a wider effort to disrupt suspected organised crime and drug-related activity.

By the end of the operation, 20 people — 17 men and three women — had been arrested for a range of alleged offences, including organised crime activity, firearms offences, drug supply, violence, rape and dangerous driving.

Cleveland Police said six of those arrested were connected to events that occurred before the tragic A66 collision.

MORE THAN 130 OFFICERS TAKE PART

The large-scale operation involved more than 130 officers from Cleveland Police, forces from across the country, the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit and the National Crime Agency.

Officers carried out simultaneous raids at a number of addresses during the early hours of September 21.

Police described the operation as the biggest Operation Artemis action carried out in the area so far.

The force said the operation was designed to target people suspected of causing harm in local communities while also responding to concerns raised by residents.

Alongside the arrests, officers carried out high-visibility patrols and community engagement in South Bank, Grangetown, Eston and surrounding areas.

DRUGS, CASH AND WEAPONS SEIZED

Police said the raids resulted in the seizure of suspected Class A and Class C drugs, cash and a number of weapons and other items.

Among the items recovered were:

• A knife
• A knuckle duster
• A baton
• An illegal e-bike
• An electric scooter
• An electric-assisted pedal cycle known as a “revvi”
• A suspected stolen construction tool

At one address in Grangetown, officers arrested four people on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs.

Three men, aged 37, 43 and 60, and a 58-year-old woman were taken into custody.

Police also recovered suspected Class A drugs and cash from the property.

THE OPERATION COMES AFTER THE DEADLY A66 COLLISION

The latest crackdown comes less than a month after the devastating A66 crash on August 22.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were responding to events in the area when their marked police vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the A66.

Both officers died in the collision.

Five young men travelling in the Passat also died.

They were later identified as Jakub Matusiak, Makai Saddington, Theo Rae, Michael Robert Cahill and Cole Robert Worthy.

The crash followed reports of dangerous driving and other incidents involving vehicles in the Middlesbrough area.

Cleveland Police subsequently launched a major investigation into the criminal activity that occurred before the fatal collision.

POLICE HAD ALREADY MADE ARRESTS AFTER THE CRASH

The September raids were not the first arrests connected with the wider investigation.

On August 24, Cleveland Police announced that 12 people had been arrested as detectives investigated the events leading up to the crash.

Those arrests involved allegations including participation in an organised crime group, possession of firearms and possession of drugs with intent to supply.

Police said some of the suspects were believed to have been connected to serious and organised criminal activity.

The force also said both vehicles involved in the events before the crash had been operating with cloned number plates.

A Volvo XC60 believed to have been involved in the earlier incidents was subsequently traced and recovered in Middlesbrough.

SIX OF THE LATEST ARRESTS LINKED TO PRE-CRASH EVENTS

One of the most significant details in the latest police update is that six of the 20 people arrested during Operation Artemis were connected to precursor events to the A66 tragedy.

However, police have not said that all 20 arrests were directly connected to the fatal crash.

The remaining arrests relate to a broader crackdown on organised crime, drugs, violence, dangerous driving and outstanding offences across the area.

That distinction is important as investigations continue.

Being arrested does not mean a person has been charged or found guilty of an offence.

SEVEN PEOPLE CHARGED

Cleveland Police said that seven of those arrested had subsequently been charged and remanded to appear before magistrates on September 22.

The charges relate to offences uncovered during the operation.

Police said investigations into other suspects and the wider criminal activity remain ongoing.

POLICE ASK RESIDENTS TO KEEP REPORTING CRIME

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hall said the operation was part of a continuing effort to tackle organised crime and anti-social behaviour in areas affected by recent violence.

He also credited information from members of the public for helping officers identify people and locations believed to be involved in criminal activity.

Police said neighbourhood officers and PCSOs continued speaking with residents during the operation, while leaflets were delivered to properties near locations where arrests had taken place.

The force also reminded residents that information about suspected criminal activity can be reported anonymously through Crimestoppers.

A COMMUNITY STILL DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH

The A66 tragedy has had a profound impact on communities across Teesside.

The deaths of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough have also deeply affected Cleveland Police, while the deaths of the five young men in the Passat have left their families and friends grieving.

The crash occurred against a backdrop of other violent incidents in the area, increasing pressure on police to identify those involved in organised criminal activity and prevent further violence.

Operation Artemis is expected to continue, with Cleveland Police saying similar operations will take place across the force area.

For now, detectives continue to investigate the events surrounding the A66 crash, while officers work to disrupt suspected criminal networks operating across Teesside.