Police Operation Titan targets criminals on Hampshire's roads

A ring of steel operation aiming to deny criminals the use of our roads has seen 18 people arrested in Hampshire and the Thames Valley.

Operation Titan, which is one of the largest joint operations launched on the roads of the two forces, has proved to be a great success.

Headed up by the Joint Roads Policing Unit, the crackdown aimed to stop criminals and their vehicles who persistently use the roads to carry out their crimes.

Over the four day operation a total of 18 people were arrested for crimes ranging from possession of Class A drugs to theft and driving while under the influence of drugs.

Following the stop of one car in Iver and Denham officers seized a large quantity of a substance believed to be cocaine. If tests confirm it is cocaine, the estimated street value is around £100,000.

A 24-year-old man from Kent was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A with intent to supply. He has been released from custody but remains under investigation.

The team kicked-off the operation on Monday in Iver and Denham, before moving to Southampton on Tuesday, Portsmouth on Wednesday and then finishing in Slough on Thursday.

The crackdown saw roads policing officers using motorbikes, marked and unmarked cars, as well as the Commercial Vehicle Unit to target law-breaking motorists.

They used the latest Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, as well as working alongside experts from partner agencies such as the DVLA, Immigration and the Motors Insurers’ Bureau.

As well as those arrested, 42 vehicles were seized for having no insurance or no licence, a confirmed £20,000 worth of cocaine was seized.

In the Southampton area a stolen digger, worth £12,000 was recovered from a vehicle, two stolen vehicles were recovered, a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs and a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of failing to appear at court.

The Commercial Vehicle Unit also stopped a HGV which was "piggy-backing" another HGV lorry in Portsmouth. The driver of the HGV lorry that was being carried was asleep in his cab. Both were given fines which totalled £1,000.

Inspector Simon Hills, who headed up the operation, said: “This is an important operation because people living and working in Hampshire and Thames Valley deserve to have roads that they can enjoy, free from the fear of either crime, death or serious injury.

“Operations like this are key to improving road safety and making sure that criminals don’t travel into our area and disrupt our lifestyle.

“My message to criminals who are thinking of visiting Hampshire or Thames Valley is don’t.

“You don’t know where we are going to be next, we will be running more of these operations, we will be targeting you and we will make the five counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Thames Valley safer for everyone.”