Police step up hunt for foreign criminals on the roads of the West Midlands
Foreign crooks are being targeted by police in a high-profile operation starting in the West Midlands today.
Smashing illegal worker rackets, halting the movement of drugs on major roads and targeting criminals wanted by European forces are among the aims of Operation Trivium.
West Midlands Police is hosting the nationwide crackdown and will be working with the National Crime Agency, Gangmasters Licensing Authority and immigration officials to target criminals from overseas here in the Midlands. They will also link up with intelligence experts at Europol's headquarters in The Hague, Holland, in coming days.
It is the fifth running of Operation Trivium, which launched in summer 2013 with just a handful of UK police forces taking part. The operation last ran in June when around 900 offenders were arrested ? including 94 in the West Midlands ? and more than 600 vehicles seized.
West Midlands Police Superintendent Paul Keasey is the European Operations Commander for the scheme in the UK.
He said: "Trivium is now an established national operation with proven results of netting foreign criminals operating in the UK and showing that borders are no barrier to justice.
"It's fantastic Trivium has evolved so rapidly in the space of just over two years – this latest running will see every single UK police force taking part, while a total of 11 countries across Europe are involved and feeding into that intelligence cell in The Hague.
"We'll gain work with the National Crime Agency to focus on people wanted on European Arrest Warrants and have a strong presence on major road networks to catch and disrupt overseas criminals."
Two Romanian men arrested in the West Midlands during the operation last June remain on remand in prison awaiting trial on drug dealing charges. Nicolae Pasc, aged 25, and 24-year-old Mircea Rusu are accused of having £70,000 worth of cannabis in their possession.
It came after a car was stopped by the Central Motorway Police Group on the M5 between Junctions 1 and 2 between West Bromwich and Oldbury. They are set to appear at Exeter Crown Court in December.
Supt Keasey added: "Officers across the West Midlands will be involved in ANPR operations on the look-out for suspect vehicles, run roadside checkpoints, and support immigration officials on visits to businesses suspected of employing foreign over-stayers."
