Man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and recovered drugs as part of a targeted day of action in Liverpool yesterday morning (Wednesday 16 March).

10 others were also arrested on the day which formed part of Operation Vermont, a proactive policing operation that uses various tactics and resources to find criminals and protect those living in the local area.

During a warrant in Liverpool an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to the shooting of a teenage girl on Upper Warwick Street earlier this month.

The man was taken to a police station in Merseyside for questioning and has been released under investigation.

High visibility police were placed on patrol in Toxteth and three warrants at premises in Liverpool were executed where suspected drugs were recovered.

A 21-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon after officers carrying out a warrant at an address on Britannia Crescent spotted him jump out of a rear upstairs window and throw some items into the next-door garden. Officers detained the man and recovered a quantity of white and brown powder suspected to be Crack Cocaine, Heroin and Cannabis.  Scales, bags, a mobile phone, a baton and a large knife were also seized at the address.

An 18-year-old man from Liverpool was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, possession of criminal property and handling stolen goods during another warrant in the area. Officers at the address seized a large quantity of cannabis and a white powder believed to be ketamine.  Cash, scales, snap bags and mobile phones were also found in the bedroom of the property and a motorcycle that was reported as stolen was found in the back yard of the premises.

Both men were taken to a police station in Merseyside for questioning and have been released under investigation.

Officers also stopped a car on Lime Close after the driver of the vehicle was acting suspiciously. When officers approached the man in the car he was seen hiding items in his trousers. The 45-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, drug driving and possession of an offensive weapon after a metal bat was found in the car.

Officers also found a quantity of cash and a bag of suspected Class A drugs at the man's address after officer's conducted a search at the property.

The man was taken to a police station in Merseyside for questioning and has been released under investigation.

Open land searches were also carried out at Toxteth cemetery and Crown Street Park by officers and roadside operations were carried out throughout the day on main roads into the city.

Liverpool City council’s Streetscene services also assisted in fly tipping clearances, cut back overgrowth, gulley suckers, street cleansing, enforcement of waste.

Councillor Abdul Qadir, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: “It’s vital that we work in partnership with Merseyside Police on operations such as this to keep residents safe and to improve their neighbourhoods. We want to reassure our residents that crime and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities.

"This has been an emotional time for the Toxteth community and these targeted environmental works are part of a much wider strategy to address the feelings of safety and wellbeing in the area.

"I’d like to thank residents for their support over these past few weeks. Their feedback is crucial to helping us make the improvements that when you add them all up over time will make a big difference to their quality of life.”

Community Policing inspector David Uren said: “Following yesterday morning’s warrants, searches and work with the council a large quantity of drugs and weapons have now been removed from our streets that could have been used to cause harm to families or residents in our communities.

"Since the shocking incident on Upper Warwick Street, Toxteth on Tuesday, 1 March where a 15-year-old girl, was shot and injured a number of measures have been emplaced to reassure residents which includes an increased police presence in the area.

"We know how important it is to work with Liverpool City Council in order to target such issues such as gun and knife crime and we know, from public feedback, that our communities welcome seeing officers on the street carrying out this type of activity.

“Proactive work such as this is carried out by officers every day to ensure Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside remains a safe place for our communities to live, work and visit and we will continue to listen to the public’s concerns and act on any information given to us.

“Information from the public plays a vital part in bringing offenders to justice, so if you are aware of any suspicious activity involving weapons or drugs in your area please come forward to us, or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously, so that we can take action.”

If you have information on criminality in your area, please contact @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.