Nearly 500 Years of Jail Time Thanks to Eastern Region Crimebusters
The Eastern Region’s crime-fighting squad has smashed serious organised crime in 2019, securing almost 500 years of prison sentences. The Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), part of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), targets nasty offences like firearms supply, county drugs lines, child sexual exploitation, cybercrime, and modern slavery.
Massive Hauls and Major Arrests
ROCU’s elite officers have worked hand-in-hand with police forces across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent. Their efforts in 2019 saw over 380 arrests, the seizure of 237 kilograms of Class A drugs, and 64 firearms taken off the streets.
Convicted criminals were also stripped of £5.8 million under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Victims got over £1.6 million in compensation.
“2019 has been a fantastic year for our unit, less so for the people seeking to cause harm,” said Hannah Wilkinson, Head of ROCU. “Thanks to our hard work, organised crime groups have been smashed, with members spending Christmas behind bars. We’ve seized huge amounts of drugs and more than 60 dangerous weapons. Crime doesn’t pay – we’ve gutted criminals of their ill-gotten gains and will continue protecting the public in 2020.”
Top Brass Praise and Record-Breaking Results
Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway, who oversees Bedfordshire Police, hailed the unit’s work. “I’m incredibly proud of ROCU’s achievements,” she said. “Their dedication has earned ERSOU a world-class police award. They’re set to build on their 2019 success next year.”
2019 Highlights: Crime Busts That Made Headlines
- Three brothers jailed for over 200 burglaries across the eastern region.
- Eight people sentenced for a boiler room scam that ripped off millions from the elderly and vulnerable.
- An Ipswich gang member locked up for nearly four years over a £1 million cyber-fraud.
- A Luton organised crime group handed sentences totalling more than 110 years for a multi-million-pound drugs conspiracy.
- Six jailed for attempting to smuggle migrants across the Channel into Kent.
- Sixteen convicted for running a ‘crash for cash’ insurance scam.
