Shootings down and targets behind bars – One year since anti-organised crime Operation Naseby began

Operation Naseby, in its first year, has seen shootings down, suspects behind bars, and significant seizures of drugs, weapons, and cars.

The operation was first introduced in April 2020, after a total of 25 shootings, mostly involving a series of violent incidents between two rival criminal groups, in the space of 12 months in Salford.

There have been 15 gunshots the last year which is a 40% drop on the year before.

Since the beginning of the operation, the team has supported 179 arrests, 180 vehicle seizures, recovered over £500,000’s worth of drugs, and searched over 75 houses.

During these searches, several Weapons were recovered that include a shotgun, two loaded crossbows, a number of machetes, and dozens of other knives and bladed articles.

So far, Operation Naseby has been a success with over 30 officers involved in the operation which includes detectives, complex safeguarding officers, neighbourhood patrols, and pursuit-trained officers were all tasked with proactively targeting and tackling offenders suspected of being involved in organised crime.

The pandemic has caused a backlog of court cases with a further 42 cases currently waiting to be heard.

Twenty people have been recalled to prison, and numerous other offenders have been convicted of a range of drug, driving, and firearms offences, including several targets from the outset of the operation.

This includes Jamie Swindells, 22, of Hereford Road, Eccles, who was convicted in September 2020 of possession of a bladed weapon, and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine after he was stopped in a vehicle and searched by officers.

Swindells was believed to be involved in the dispute in the Kersal and Lower Broughton area in April 2020, which was one of the catalysts that prompted the hub’s launch. He is now serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence.

Last week, Olatunde Kuberofsky, 23, from Salford, was jailed for over two-and-a-half years for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine, and assault of an emergency worker, following a vehicle stop in Seedley.

Kuberofsky tried to run away from the vehicle and physically assaulted an officer prior to being detained, searches later found he was in possession of large quantities of Class A drugs and money.

Detective Chief Inspector Rick Thompson, head of proactive Salford CID, said: “A year on from the start of the Operation Naseby disruption hub we can see the positive impact that the relentless work from our dedicated team has had on the streets of Salford.

“When the hub began, this was a project planned to last six weeks to try and disrupt the sequence of incidents that we were seeing, but as time has gone on this has grown into a vital tool in our overarching effort to tackle organised crime in the city.

“I’d like to thank the public for their ongoing support while reminding them of the importance of reporting suspicious or concerning behaviour to police, and I hope the community feel reassured by our results so far that when we do receive information, we will take effective action.” DCI Thompson added.

Anyone with information or concerns should contact the police online via LiveChat or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.