17 ARRESTED AS POLICE LAUNCH MAJOR MIDDLESBROUGH RAIDS AFTER DEADLY A66 CRASH

More than 130 police officers descended on parts of Middlesbrough in a major crackdown on drugs and organised crime, with 17 people arrested and weapons, cash and suspected drugs seized.

The early-morning raids were carried out on Monday, September 21, as part of Operation Artemis, a major Cleveland Police operation targeting criminal activity across Teesside.

The crackdown comes weeks after the devastating A66 collision that killed seven people, including two Cleveland Police officers.

However, police have made clear that the latest arrests relate to a wider investigation into organised crime and drug dealing and should not automatically be interpreted as arrests connected directly to the fatal crash.

17 PEOPLE ARRESTED

Cleveland Police said four warrants had been executed by Monday afternoon, resulting in 17 arrests for offences including suspected drug supply and theft of a motor vehicle.

Officers targeted properties in areas including Redcar, South Bank, Grangetown and Ormesby.

Among the items seized were suspected Class A and Class C drugs, cash, a knife, a baton and a knuckle duster.

Police also seized an illegal e-bike, an electric scooter, an electric-assisted pedal cycle known as a “revvi” and a suspected stolen construction tool.

At one property on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown, four people were arrested on suspicion of drug supply offences.

They included three men aged 37, 43 and 60 and a 58-year-old woman.

Suspected Class A drugs and cash were recovered from the address, while police also seized a dog believed to be a banned breed.

At another address on Moorbeck Way in Ormesby, officers recovered a knife, baton and knuckle duster, along with suspected Class C drugs.

MORE THAN 130 OFFICERS INVOLVED

The scale of the operation was significant, with reports indicating that more than 130 officers took part in the early-morning raids.

Police activity began in the early hours as officers moved into targeted areas across Teesside.

The operation forms part of Cleveland Police’s wider efforts to disrupt organised criminal networks and drug supply.

Operation Artemis has previously been used by the force for targeted enforcement against organised crime and drug dealing.

THE A66 TRAGEDY

The raids come almost a month after the devastating A66 crash on August 22.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelled onto the A66 in the wrong direction and collided with their marked armed-response vehicle.

Five young men travelling in the Passat also died.

The five were later identified as Michael Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jacob Matusiak and Makai Saddington.

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Cleveland Police had received intelligence about incidents linked to the Volkswagen Passat before the crash.

An armed-response vehicle pursued the Passat for just under seven minutes before the car entered the A66 against the flow of traffic.

Police then abandoned the pursuit and continued on the correct side of the carriageway.

Around 10 seconds later, the Passat collided with another police vehicle that was not involved in the pursuit but had been assisting in the search.

All seven people involved in the collision died.

EARLIER ARRESTS FOLLOWED THE CRASH

The latest Operation Artemis raids follow a separate wave of arrests made in the immediate aftermath of the A66 tragedy.

On August 24, Cleveland Police announced that 12 people had been arrested as part of its investigation into criminal activity believed to have taken place before the fatal collision.

Those arrests involved nine men and three women aged between 19 and 61.

Police said suspects were being investigated for offences including participation in an organised crime group, possession of weapons and drug offences.

One 26-year-old man was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of criminal property.

The force said the investigation into the events leading up to the crash remained wide-ranging.

POLICE CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

The latest raids demonstrate that police activity across the region has continued well beyond the initial investigation into the A66 collision.

Cleveland Police has been working alongside other forces and partner agencies to disrupt organised crime and remove drugs and weapons from communities.

The A66 crash remains the subject of an independent investigation by the IOPC, while the wider criminal investigation into events surrounding the tragedy continues.

For residents across Teesside, Monday’s operation brought another major police presence to the area — this time focused on tackling the wider criminal networks that authorities say remain a priority.

The 17 people arrested during Operation Artemis have not been convicted, and the investigation remains ongoing.