Southampton Police Crack Down on Crime in Major Operation
Southampton have hailed a successful day of targeted action following a major operation aimed at tackling violent crime, anti-social behaviour, and drug-related offences.
Officers from the Violent Crime Taskforce, Priority Crime Team, Neighbourhood Enforcement Team, Roads Policing Unit, and the Shirley and Bevois Neighbourhood Policing Teams joined forces for Operation Enduro, which focused on disrupting criminal activity and intercepting offenders using high-powered e-bikes and e-scooters.
These vehicles are often used to evade police through parks, alleyways, and underpasses, areas which are notoriously difficult to patrol. The Roads Policing Unit, deploying both on-road and off-road bikes, played a crucial role in closing these gaps. Officers also conducted patrols in plain clothes and in vehicles, gathering intelligence across the city.
The operation yielded a series of arrests and seizures:
• 1 woman arrested on suspicion of Class A drug supply and money laundering
• 2 men arrested on suspicion of drug driving
• 1 man arrested for recall to prison
• 2 (priority level 1) wanted suspects arrested by plain clothes officers
• 12 e-scooters and e-motorbikes seized, with riders reported for summons
• 2 uninsured cars seized
• 2 stolen motorbikes recovered, one intact and one burned out
• Nearly £1,000 cash suspected to be linked to drugs seized
• Multiple stop and searches carried out and intelligence logs submitted
In addition, Portswood Neighbourhood Policing Team supported Operation Maranta, focusing on anti-social behaviour around Southampton Sports Centre and the surrounding Chilworth area. Officers identified a repeat dirt-bike offender and held a community beat surgery to engage with local residents.
A spokesperson for Southampton Police said:
“A huge thank you goes to our Custody and Custody Investigation teams – without them, operations like this wouldn’t be possible.
The operation may be complete, but our work continues. We will not stop tackling violent crime and anti-social behaviour in our city.”
Police emphasised that such operations demonstrate their commitment to keeping the city safe and warned that they will continue targeting offenders using innovative patrol tactics and intelligence-led policing.
