West Midlands Police have made a major breakthrough in Birmingham’s fight against organised crime, seizing weapons, over £50,000 in cash, and a massive haul of illegal tobacco as part of Operation Fearless.
The proactive crackdown — launched just over a week ago to tackle retail theft, drug dealing, and anti-social behaviour in Birmingham city centre — has recorded its biggest success yet.
At around 3:15pm yesterday (Thursday, 9 May), officers stopped a suspicious vehicle on Pershore Street. Inside, they found a baseball bat, wooden club, metal bar, and knuckle duster. The driver was immediately arrested.
Raid Leads to Cash and Counterfeit Tobacco Discovery
Follow-up enquiries led police to a property in Perry Barr, where officers discovered £40,000 in cash and a large quantity of counterfeit tobacco being weighed and packaged for illegal distribution.
Later that same afternoon, a further £10,000 was seized in a separate search.
Five Arrested in Organised Crime Bust
In total, three men and two women were arrested for offences including:
- Conspiracy to defraud
- Possession of an offensive weapon
Police Statement
Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, leading Operation Fearless, said:
“This is the most significant success since we launched in Southside last week. It shows our determination to disrupt everything from anti-social behaviour to serious and organised crime.”
The operation is part of a wider police effort to restore safety and order to Birmingham’s busiest districts.
