A team dedicated to tackling serious and organised crime in Sandwell have made more than 100 arrests since it was set up two years ago.
The Serious Organised Crime and Exploitation Team (SOCEX) in Sandwell was created to disrupt illegal activity and dismantle any organised criminal behaviour in the local area.
The team was set up in October 2021 and started out with one sergeant and five police officers, since then officers have gained an extra two police officers to step up our fight in tackling crime in Sandwell.
Serious and organised crime is when people either working as a gang, or on their own, organise, plan and commit serious crime such as drugs, modern slavery, money laundering and human trafficking.
Often criminals will manipulate and coerce young and vulnerable people, exploiting them into committing crimes.
Since the SOCEX team in Sandwell was established officers have made more than 100 arrests of people linked to organised crime in the area, and have executed 45 warrants relating to drugs, firearms and evidential searches.
A total of seven viable firearms have been recovered with more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Officers have seized more than £500,000 in cash, £210,00 worth of cannabis which was packaged up for distribution on the streets and £716,000 of class A drugs.
Superintendent for Sandwell, Lisa-Jayne Robson said: “Tackling those who cause the most harm to communities is an absolutely priority for us.
“The SOCEX team has a focus on disrupting organised criminality across Sandwell which includes the supply of drugs, possession of firearms and both criminal and sexual exploitation of vulnerable people.
“We continue to recover significant amounts of cash, drugs and firearms as well as making key arrests which in turn means we are causing significant disruption to organised crime.
“I would urge anyone who has any information about organised crime to get in touch with us as we need your help to continue our action.”