FIFTEEN people were arrested as part of yesterday’s cross-border crackdown on criminal activity on Cheshire and Manchester roads.

Criminals travelling across the border were greeted with a shock on Thursday June 26, as over 200 officers, 100 vehicles and Air Support took part in ‘Operation Crossbow’.

The operation, which took place on roads around Knutsford, was jointly run by Cheshire Constabulary, Greater Manchester Police and partner agencies with the aim to disrupt illegal activity between the two counties and deny criminals the use of the road. 

Officers used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to monitor virtually every vehicle that crossed between Cheshire and Manchester, stopping all vehicles that were on the road illegally or linked with crime.

As a result of the operation 344 vehicles were stopped, 94 fixed penalty notices were issues, 19 vehicles were seized, 30 breath tests were administered, and two vehicles were recovered.

A total of 15 people were arrested for a variety of offences including money laundering and possession of drugs.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, said: “Operation Crossbow clearly demonstrates how effective collaboration can be.  Officers showed they have the skills and ability to be involved in major operations, which will have significant benefits for the communities of Cheshire for some time to come.”