A total of 27 people have been arrested this morning, Wednesday 22 August, at addresses across north London as part of the MPS’s total war on burglary offenders.
During the course of the morning, 39 search warrants were executed at 49 addresses in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Haringey, Harrow, Enfield, Hackney, Westminster, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
At one address in Westminster, officers have seized approximately £10,000 in cash.
All of those arrested are currently in custody in various police stations, pending further enquiries.
Operation Galaxy was set up in October 2010 to identify and bring to justice burglary offenders operating in Barnet, a number of whom live in neighbouring boroughs. The intelligence-led operation, which has been supported by the local authority, has drawn upon expertise from specialist teams across the Met including the Territorial Support Group and Specialist Crime and Operations Command.
This is the second time officers have carried out raids for this operation – on 4 July, officers arrested 85 people at 52 addresses, resulting in over 350 charges.
Commander Mak Chishty, Link Commander for Barnet, said:
“This morning’s operation is a clear warning to all burglars that we will do everything in our power to catch and convict them. House burglary carries a significant imprisonment so be warned.
“We would like to reassure our communities that we are working hard to keep them safe, and their help in providing information helps us to bring offenders to justice.
“ With Autumn nights fast approaching, burglars think there is less risk of getting caught – they are wrong. Whilst the police continue disrupt burglars by taking positive action, you can help by keeping a watchful eye in your neighbourhoods, keeping your property secure and reporting anything suspicious to us.
“I would urge residents to find out more by visiting our dedicated page on the Met website http://www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain Raphael said:
“As part of this operation we have already recovered approximately £400,000-worth of stolen property. Some of these items have thankfully been returned to their rightful owners, however some items remain unidentified. From today and in coming weeks we will be publishing photos on the following site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitanpolice/sets – access the images under the ‘set’ name of Operation Gemini.
“I would urge anyone who has been affected by burglary in Barnet, and it’s surrounding boroughs, to visit the site and get in touch with us if they see items they believe belong to them.
“It is also important that we acknowledge the role of Barnet Council, which has provided long-term support for this operation and a clear commitment to tackle criminality. Our joint work to combat burglary will continue.”
Cllr David Longstaff, cabinet member for safety and resident engagement, said:
“Barnet is generally a low-crime area, but the way the police and Barnet council staff have worked together to tackle persistent burglary offences shows just how committed we are in keeping it this way. I would like to thank the police for their concentrated efforts in reducing burglary over the last four months with operations Galaxy and Gemini.”
