More than 100 firearms have been seized and 37 people arrested during a series of raids across London to crack down on illegal weapons bought over the internet.
The Met’s Specialist Crime Directorate carried out the raids under the banner Operation Bembridge after gathering intelligence relating to people who had bought a range of weapons from overseas over the internet. The operation involved search warrants being executed at 47 addresses, panning 24 boroughs across London over four days. Operation Bembridge took place between
Tuesday November 2 and Friday November 5, and
involved 500 MPS officers from the Specialist Crime Directorate, individual boroughs, police search teams and the Territorial Support Group.
Operation Bembridge linked with both national and international agencies. Within the UK, it featured as part of a nationwide operation by ACPO (the Association of Chief Police Officers) in which around 700 addresses around the country were raided. Officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Directorate also visited France earlier this year and have been liasing closely with law enforcement agencies over there.
What they say
Assistant Commissioner, Tarique Ghaffur, head of Specialist
Crime Directorate at the Metropolitan Police said, "This is the climax of a long-term intelligence operation where we have identified weaponry purchased over the internet. I am delighted by its success and the sheer number of firearms, ammunition and other weapons seized will make London a safer city."
