Two teenagers were arrested after police found rucksacks containing weapons and drugs in Nottingham city centre.
Acting on a report made by council CCTV operators, officers approached two young males in Old Market Square who were suspected of dealing drugs late on Friday night (26 June).
As the officers advanced from a distance, the CCTV operators noticed one of the suspects hiding a rucksack under a nearby bush.
Both suspects were detained and searched, while two rucksacks were recovered from the area. One was on a small wall where the males had been sitting, and the other was under the bush, as had been described.
Within the rucksack hidden under the bush was a large quantity of suspected Class A drug wraps, a large rock of white powder, three knives, scales, and a suspected burner phone. A small quantity of cannabis was found in the other rucksack.
Both teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of a bladed article in a public place. They were taken into custody for questioning and later bailed with strict conditions pending further investigation.
The arrests took place shortly after 11.45 pm on Friday (26 June) and form part of Operation Reclaim, which was launched in April. It is a partnership approach to tackling the major issues affecting the city centre, including drug dealing, drug taking, and carrying weapons.
City Commander Superintendent Chris Pearson said:
“Nottingham is renowned for its vibrant nightlife, and we will not tolerate anyone who brings weapons and drugs into the city at any time of day, including during the nighttime economy.
“People come to Nottingham to enjoy themselves. They do not want to be around drugs and knives, so we will continue working alongside our partners to rid the city centre of such criminality.
“Criminals should know the city centre has a wide CCTV network that is monitored 24/7 by Nottingham City Council. Because of this, and by working closely in partnership, two suspects were arrested and a significant amount of drugs and weapons was seized.
“This is an excellent outcome and a significant disruption to local drug dealing, so I would like to thank the CCTV operators for the crucial role they played in these arrests.
“We work extremely hard with our partners to ensure Nottingham remains a safe and enjoyable place for a night out. As we’ve said previously, if you come into the city to take drugs, deal drugs, carry weapons, and cause anti-social behaviour, you will be arrested, and we won’t hesitate to put restrictions in place so that you cannot come back again.”
