Five arrests made and three vehicles seized in Blaenau Gwent operation

Officers across Blaenau Gwent’s neighbourhood policing team have carried out a series of night-time operations to tackle knife crime, vehicle crime and fuel thefts.

A series of evening operations across four Blaenau Gwent towns has yielded five arrests and the seizure of three vehicles as well as a quantity of drugs.

As part of Gwent’s work for Sceptre –  the National Police Chief’s Council’s focus on tackling knife crime and serious violence – officers patrolled Tredegar and Abertillery town centres, as well as Hilltop in Ebbw Vale, to target knife carriers.

Operation Greyhawk, which took place between Tuesday 14 May – Friday 17 May, also saw the team target those committing vehicle crime in the borough.

Chief Inspector Stevie Warden, who led the operation, said:

“We’ve recently seen an increase in reports of vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles in Llanhilleth, Abertillery and Tredegar.  

“Last week, officers from our neighbourhood and enforcement teams worked with roads policing and specialist operations (RPSO), and a dog handler, to carry out searches to identify those suspected of stealing bikes and other vehicles, as well as fuel.

“Patrols along industrial estates in Rassau and Brynmawr, as well as proactive stops in Abertillery, Llanhilleth and Tredegar led to officers seizing two cars and one off-road bike and issuing two traffic offence reports (TORs) for driving offences.”

During one of these searches, a 37-year-old woman from Tredegar was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug of class A, going equipped for theft, theft from a shop and failing to provide a specimen.

CI Warden added:

“Over the course of the operation, we carried out 27 stop searches, finding and seizing class-A and B drugs, and arrested a number of people on suspicion of a range of theft offences.

“The team is fiercely committed to stamping out vehicle crime in Blaenau Gwent and will continue to gather information to inform detailed and proactive operations like this.

“We’ll continue to act on any information we’re given to identify those responsible for vehicle crime, and those stealing fuel, and bring them to justice.

“You can help us. If you’ve any concerns around knife crime, vehicle crime or drug dealing in your community, and believe you have information that might help us identify those responsible, please do get in touch.”

You can call us on 101 or send us a direct message on Facebook or X with any details you believe may help.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.