Luxury cars seized as police raid farm
Apr 1 2008 by Paul James, The Journal
A FARM where police once found the country’s biggest ever stash of illegal fireworks was yesterday raided by financial investigators.
More than 40 officers swooped on Ricklees Farm, off Spen Road in Greenside, Gateshead, to launch the second wave of Northumbria Police’s Operation Payback, targeting those who live off the proceeds of crime.
A man and a woman, both in their 40s, were arrested at the farm on suspicion of money laundering as officers searched a line of luxury cars parked outside the property. They included a Range Rover Vogue, a Mercedes MC350 van, a Subaru Impreza and a Ford Focus. Parked elsewhere on the farm were a Jeep, a Vauxhall Frontier and a white limousine with the number plate N608 TAX.
Two other raids took place simultaneously in Wallsend, North Tyneside, to signal a new era of action against criminals who flaunt their wealth and status in the North East.
The Northumbria Police financial investigators have recovered £1.5m in criminals’ assets since the first wave of Operation Payback in April last year – asking the public to shop those who flaunt their wealth and status but have no obvious source of income.
Yesterday police seized four of the vehicles at Ricklees Farm, worth up to £150,000 in total, along with a leather three-piece suite, a motorcycle, personal computer, laptop computer, industrial jet wash machine and an industrial compressor unit.
In the run-up to Bonfire Night in 2006, police seized four tonnes of bootleg fireworks at the property. A large stash of illegal drugs and £140,000 in cash was also seized from a warehouse at the farm.
The arrests at Greenside were followed by the arrest at a house at Bede Crescent, Wallsend, of a 36-year-old man on suspicion of money laundering. When police arrived at a house in Laing Grove, Wallsend, a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and a 35-year-old man was arrested for obstructing the police. From Bede Crescent, Wallsend, two vehicles, a Range Rover and a Renault Megane, were seized, along with a quantity of cash, and at Laing Grove, Wallsend, a Mitsubishi car was seized.
Last night Chief Constable Mike Craik said: “This is a further step to putting a stop to the people who think they can get away with living on the back of crime. By arresting them and seizing their assets, we’re proving crime doesn’t pay. It really is payback time for criminals.”
Operation Payback 2 is set to continue in the coming week as police move to seize the assets of career criminals.
Mr Craik added: “During the past year, the public has really helped us in our mission to take the cash out of crime by reporting anything untoward to local officers. So if your neighbours appear to live a life of luxury without any obvious source of income, the chances are they are getting their money from criminal activity. We would urge members of the public to help us identify offenders.”
