Tackling Serious and Organised Crime in the North East

The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) scored a number of major successes over the past year.

NEROCU delivers an increased response to tackling, disrupting and dismantling serious and organised crime that goes beyond Force borders in the North East region. They provide additional specialist support through effective partnership working and collaboration.

It has specialist capabilities, which are delivered regionally but available to all police forces. They work together to tackle organised crime groups involved in the likes of drugs and firearms supply, organised immigration crime, acquisitive crime, human trafficking and exploitation, money laundering and fraud, prison corruption and intel, and cyber related crimes.

Among the successes over the past year were:

• 44% increase in disruptions to criminal activity by the Cyber Team from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
• 80% increase in disruptions by The Regional Economic Crime Coordination Centre (RECCC) which targets crimes such as fraud and money laundering.
• 151 larger-scale disruptions in the sale and supply of drugs across the North East. Supporting North East forces’ own operations such as Op City- an investigation into an organised crime gang (OCG) involved in drugs supply.

Major successes during 2024-25 included:

Operation Mille - a national, cross-border operation to target Western Balkan OCGs. A total of 28 warrants executed across the three North East force areas, leading to nine arrests and seizure of over 4,784 cannabis plants with a street value of over £4.5 million.

Operation Green - an operation into the production of Cannabis in Cleveland. It uncovered plants to the value of £1.7 million as well as recovering a significant amount of cash, Class A drugs, illegal tobacco and suspected forged or fraudulent documents.

Operation Birchwood – a NEROCU-led investigation into serious and organised acquisitive crime in the Northumbria force area. It followed a series of high value burglaries which resulted in losses of over £1.3 Million. The four members of the OCG were arrested and subsequently sentenced to over 31 years imprisonment in total.

Operation Grape – an investigation into Organised Immigration Crime in the Durham area which was triggered when intelligence suggested people were living and working in unsafe conditions – including a woman and young child who were safeguarded.

NEROCU is part-funded by and works with North East Police and Crime Commissioners, Cleveland Police, Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary under the banner of Operation Sentinel – the united regional response to tackling Serious and Organised Crime in all forms.

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson, NEROCU Senior Responsible Officer, said: “Our latest annual figures have really highlighted the outstanding work done by our specialist teams here at NEROCU.

“The work they do can be tough and complex but the dedication to their work is the reason so many threats to our communities are now behind bars.

“Our work cannot be done without the support of our fantastic regional police forces and the other partners we work with. Here in the North East, it is because we stand united against Serious and Organised Crime that we make the impact we do.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Working with regional and national partners to protect our communities and tackle serious and organised crime is right up there in my list of priorities for Northumbria Police and I regularly meet with NEROCU partners to keep updated on developments which align with my Police and Crime Plan.

“It is evident real progress is being made in this area and I want residents to feel reassured that we’re coming down hard on crime gangs, large scale drug supplies have been disrupted and those masterminding high value burglaries have been caught and are behind bars. Countless operations have also led to the safeguarding of vulnerable people who have been exploited by these hardened criminals at the top of the chain. I am grateful of the co-ordinated efforts across the region to disrupt these criminals and protect people – it’s a key part of delivering safer streets and stronger communities.”

County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “Serious organised crime including drug and human-trafficking, sexual exploitation, fraud and economic and cybercrime brings untold human suffering to our communities and costs the UK economy alone billions of pounds every year. These criminals will go to extreme lengths to carry out their activities, with no regard for innocent people’s lives, many of them young and vulnerable.

“NEROCU plays a critical role in identifying and bringing serious and dangerous offenders to justice, drawing on the very latest in technology and capabilities to expose hidden criminality to protect lives. These results are testament to the hard work, perseverance and dedication that goes on all year round by NEROCU officers to disrupt these appalling activities, many of which may not have come to light without its relentless, and proactive intervention.”

Cleveland PCC Matt Storey said: “It’s really important that we work closely with our partners locally, regionally and nationally to tackle and reduce crime.

“Increasingly, organised crime gangs (OCGs) are working across national – as well as force – borders so we have to match them toe-to-toe in terms of our reach, capabilities and capacity.

“NEROCU does vital work to bring all partners together to free our communities from the scourge of organised crime.”

Regional organised crime units are an essential part in the fight against serious and organised crime. They provide the main link between the National Crime Agency and police forces in England and Wales.

If you want to find out more about the work being done to tackle Serious and Organised Crime in the North East you can visit the NEROCU website.

If you want to know more about what your Police and Crime Commissioner is doing in your area, you can visit their website:

Durham: Durham Police and Crime Commissioner

Cleveland: Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner

Northumbria: Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner