Dangerous drivers arrested and drugs seized as Rochdale police operation targets criminal use of roads

Wednesday, 1 October 2025 11:40

By David Murphy

A multi-agency crackdown on dangerous driving and organised crime has made Rochdale’s roads safer, with eight arrests and hundreds of offences recorded over a 10-day policing blitz.

A sweeping roads policing operation has resulted in hundreds of vehicles stopped, drugs and counterfeit goods seized, and suspected criminals arrested in Rochdale.

The high-visibility operation, which ran over 10 days across July and August, targeted key hotspots identified using recent collision data and intelligence reports. It formed part of Operation Topaz, a national campaign coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and government departments to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.

In Rochdale, officers from the neighbourhood team, Roads Policing Unit, Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit (TVIU), PCSOs, dog handlers, DVLA and Trading Standards all took part.

In total, 659 vehicles were stopped, leading to:

25 vehicles seized under Section 165 powers
4 stolen vehicles recovered
380 traffic offence reports issued
40 stop-searches conducted under the Misuse of Drugs Act
30,000 counterfeit cigarettes seized
8 arrests for offences including theft and dangerous driving

Officers also conducted 32 taxi checks and used discretion to offer guidance in 82 instances.

One dramatic moment saw a driver flee from police, sparking a 15-minute pursuit through busy residential streets. A stinger device was deployed to stop the car, and after a foot chase, a man was arrested.

Police recovered around 100 to 150 wraps of heroin and cocaine along with a burner phone containing drug-related messages. The man has been charged with several offences including:

Dangerous driving
Driving without insurance
Failing to stop
Driving without a licence
Possession of Class A – cocaine
Possession of Class A - heroin
Possession of Class B – cannabis

In another incident, officers seized a vehicle linked to a Drake Street premises and discovered £7,800 in counterfeit cigarettes. Intelligence from the driver helped secure a closure order against the premises.

Elsewhere, proactive officers intercepted a car suspected of smuggling cannabis into HMP Buckley Hall. The prison’s staff praised GMP for their action.

Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Nicola Hopkins said the operation was about more than road safety: “Roads policing is a vital tool in tackling criminality and keeping our communities safe. This operation shows how targeted enforcement can deliver real results, not just in terms of road safety, but in disrupting wider criminal activity.”

She added that public feedback had been overwhelmingly positive, with residents welcoming the increased visibility.

The national Operation Topaz strategy recognises that while not all road users are criminals, most criminals use the road network. The campaign aims to tackle crime, improve road safety, and respond quickly to new threats through coordinated enforcement and intelligence sharing.