Cleveland Police criminal gang crackdown leads to more than 500 arrests on Teesside

Project Adder aims to reduce drug deaths and tackling drug supply in Middlesbrough. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

More than 500 people have been arrested in Middlesbrough in the last year in a crackdown on criminal gangs selling drugs.

Cleveland Police says there were over 1,600 drug seizures and more than 450 weapons, including knives and firearms, taken off the streets as part of Project ADDER.

In 2023, officers arrested 552 people and disrupted 76 organised crime groups.

Project ADDER, (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, Recovery), is funded by the Home Office and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

It aims to reduce drug deaths and tackling drug supply in Middlesbrough.

Over the last 12 months, 451 weapons including knives and firearms were taken off the streets and there were 1,613 drug seizures including crack and heroin.

A total of 44 years and 11 months of prison sentences have been handed out by the courts in that same time period, and there are still 19 people in custody awaiting sentencing.

Middlesbrough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Force Proactive Team alone have arrested 51 people since February 2023.

Detective Chief Inspector Gez Wraith, the force’s lead for Project ADDER, said: “We have seen some fantastic results thanks to Project ADDER funding through robust enforcement and proactive policing.

“We have disrupted organised crime groups who have been causing the most harm to our communities, brought members before the courts and secured lengthy sentences for those involved.

“Drug dealing and associated crime has a huge impact on communities and I hope these recent results show our commitment to arresting offenders and making Middlesbrough a safer place to be."

This year, Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner invested £125,000-worth of funding in Project ADDER.

This will be matched by a further £375,000 from the Home Office.

From April, the PCC’s contribution to Project ADDER will rise to £250,000 – equalling the Home Office’s contribution.

Cleveland PCC Steve Turner said: “The continued success of Project ADDER justifies my continued support for the project.

“It’s imperative that we get the worst offenders off the street and crack some of the criminal gangs, who are making the lives of many people across Cleveland a misery.”

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