Tangmere man arrested as police crackdown on vehicle crime in West Sussex

Sussex Police held a night of action in a bid to prevent and detect vehicle crime in West Sussex.
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A driver has been arrested as part of an ongoing effort by Sussex Police to crackdown on vehicle crime in West Sussex.

Dubbed Operation Harp, the project targets individuals guilty of drug-dealing, possession, acquisitive crime and other offences.

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To do it, officers use intelligence and automatic number plate recognition technology to track down guilty parties.

Sussex PoliceSussex Police
Sussex Police

On Saturday December 4, officers from across the county came together for a night of action aimed to target offenders.

Among them were officers from the Specialist Enforcement Unit, who identified a black Nissan Note believed to be linked to drug supply on the A259, close to the junction with the A27.

When officers stopped the vehicle, they spoke to the driver, who admitted he was in possession of cocaine, officers said.

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Police sent ten grip sealed bags of white powder off for analysis and, upon further investigation, discovered multiple mobile phones, and a cigarette pack containing £1,000 in cash.

The driver also failed a roadside drugwipe test for cocaine, police said.

The 27-year-old, from Tangmere, was promptly arrested on suspicion of drug-driving, driving while disqualified, being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, and acquiring or possessing criminal property. He has since been released under investigation, pending further enquiries, police said.

"Operation Harp was set up in response to concerns about individuals using vehicles to commit offences in the area, which causes harm to our communities," a Sussex Police spokesperson said.

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"Working with policing teams across the district and partners, we hope to prevent, detect and ultimately disrupt this type of criminality.

"A number of operations are run throughout the year in addition to routine policing of the area."