In a coordinated effort to target organised crime, officers from Salford’s Challenger organised crime team and Display Enforcement team, with support from GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit and officers from other districts, conducted a series of early morning raids resulting in the arrest of nine men on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Codename Operation Display, the initiative follows an extensive investigation into the alleged large-scale county lines drugs supply operating across Salford. Teams from Greater Manchester Police systematically executed warrants across Salford, Gorton, and Oldham under the Misuse of Drugs Act, apprehending those identified as part of this illicit network. Further phases and arrests are planned in the days and weeks following the initial activity.
Operation Display is a joint covert investigation carried out by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and Salford’s Challenger team. Launched in September 2022, the operation aimed to combat street-level drug supply in Salford.
For years, the Pendleton area, including Salford Precinct and the Broadwalk, has been plagued by street-level drug dealing. The drug activity extends beyond Pendleton to areas such as Broughton, Higher Broughton, and Eccles. The primary drugs involved in the illicit trade are heroin and crack cocaine, with evidence of cannabis dealing also found.
These drug dealing activities have often led to violent clashes among rival drug gangs vying for control over lucrative drug supply hotspots like Salford Precinct and Eccles, resulting in firearms discharges, stabbings, and even fatalities.
To address this escalating trend, ‘Salford Connect’ was established to protect cuckooing victims and target those responsible for criminal activity.
Operation Display’s investigation has encountered 37 street-level drug dealers operating in the Pendleton, Eccles, Broughton, and Higher Broughton areas. During the first phase, 14 individuals, including three under the age of 17, have been identified for arrest.
In the wake of the morning raids, local officers partnered with Crimestoppers to engage with the public, informing them of the arrests and encouraging them to provide any information related to organised crime.
Detective Inspector Rebecca McGuigan, of GMP’s Salford Challenger organised crime team, warned those involved in criminal activities, stating that law enforcement will relentlessly pursue them. She expressed gratitude to the officers for their diligent intelligence gathering, which led to numerous arrests, as well as to NWROCU for their support in this strike day.
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