175 of Tyne and Wear’s most wanted suspects arrested in nine days

Suspected burglars, sex offenders and drug dealers were among 175 of Tyne and Wear’s most wanted fugitives snared by police in just nine days.

The arrests happened between Saturday, February 20, and Sunday, February 28 as response officers, neighbourhood teams and detectives were deployed across the region to help bring the suspects in to custody.

House searches, vehicle checks and enquiries with known associates were also conducted with the support of Special Constables and Northumbria’s Motor Patrols Department.

Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Pitt, who oversaw some of that work as part of Operation Bastian, hopes the activity reassures the public that the Force will not stop until suspected criminals are in custody.

He said: “These fugitives had been identified as some of the ‘Most Wanted’ suspects across Tyne and Wear so it is a fantastic result to bring so many into custody.

“To arrest 175 suspects in just over a week is an outstanding effort and it is thanks to the hard work of officers, staff and volunteers from across our area.

“Our Special Constables deserve a special thank you for volunteering their own time to come in and search for these individuals.

“I also want to thank those partner agencies who supported our intelligence gathering and the members of the public who provided us with community intelligence on the suspects.

“These arrests may well have come as a result of a specific week of action but anyone who tries to outrun police should know that we will never stop looking for you.

“You should always be looking over your shoulder and always be expecting a knock on your door – it’s only a matter of time before we find you.”

Those wanted suspects caught by police were arrested for offences including robbery, assault, burglary, rape and drugs offences.

Of the 175 arrested, 15 were women and the rest were men.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of an individual who is wanted by police can contact officers by calling 101 or by reporting it online at the ‘Tell Us Something’ pages of the Northumbria Police.

If you want to report information anonymously you can do so by calling independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.