2,200 arrests and over £4m cash seized – Warrior continues to wage war on organised crime
Friday, May 9, 2025
Over 2,200 arrests have been made, £4.3m pounds of assets seized and 616kg of cocaine, heroin and cannabis recovered in the past 12 months as part of Lancashire Constabulary’s ongoing crackdown on serious and organised crime.
Between April 24 and March 25, offenders have also been jailed for a combined total of 522 years with 508 vulnerable adults and children safeguarded.
Operation Warrior, backed by Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, was originally launched in 2022 and continues to go from strength to strength.
The operation is dedicated to bringing more offenders to justice for serious and organised crime offences, as well as stripping them of their cash, cars and other assets.
Operation Warrior targets both individuals and gangs involved in crime, as well as associated issues such as violence and intimidation, large scale drug supply, exploitation and fraud, all of which can cause serious harm to local communities.
According to Det Supt Mark Haworth-Oates from Lancashire Police, Warrior is closing the net on organised crime and helping to bring more offenders to justice than ever before.
He said: “Since we launched Operation Warrior in 2022, we’ve almost doubled the number of arrests taking it from 1,200 in year one to 2,200 this year, proof of our continuing commitment to cracking down on organised crime.
“We’ve also tripled the amount of cash seized, much of which is ploughed back into projects benefiting local communities through our work under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“Furthermore, we’ve also safeguarded over 500 vulnerable adults and young children, protecting them from the clutches of crime.
“However, our work continues unabated. We are determined to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to rid local communities of organised crime and the misery it can cause.
“Whilst we’ve spent the last twelve months relentlessly pursuing those causing the most harm to our communities, we know there is more work to do and we’re continuing to go after more.
“We’re also working with partners to help rebuild communities affected by crime by ploughing some of the proceeds we’ve recovered from criminals into regeneration and diversionary projects.”
He added: “I would urge anyone with information about organised crime to come forward. That might include information about drug dealing, human trafficking, counterfeiting or exploitation. If you suspect something, report it either by contacting us directly or calling independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously”.
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw said: "There's no place for organised crime here in Lancashire.
"The results from Op Warrior really speak for themselves – more criminals arrested, drugs removed from our streets as well as more cash and assets seized from criminals to invest back into keeping people safe.
"Through my Community Fund, money seized from criminals is reinvested into local projects aimed at tackling and preventing crime in our communities.
"The Chief Constable has my fully backing to continue these efforts and tackle organised crime gangs at full force."
Anyone with information about organised crime can contact Lancashire Police online or by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. Information can also be passed to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Information leading to an arrest and conviction could lead to a reward of up to £1,000.
