A66 crash investigation: 24 arrested as Cleveland Police disrupt organised crime
Seven further men arrested in Cleveland's crackdown on organised crime following the A66 crash that killed two officers and five young men.
Twenty-four arrests as Cleveland Police intensify A66 organised crime crackdown
Seven more men have been arrested as Cleveland Police continue to disrupt alleged organised crime networks in the wake of the A66 head-on crash that left seven people dead, The Guardian UK reports.
The latest arrests bring the total number of people detained since the collision in the early hours of 22 August to 24, with several charged with serious offences and a number of offenders recalled to prison.
Four men held after vehicle and arson incidents in Middlesbrough
Four of the seven newly arrested men — aged 21, 25, 35 and 40 — are being held on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life after a vehicle crashed into a house in Steele Crescent, Middlesbrough. They are also being questioned over alleged arson following a caravan fire on Atlee Road on Wednesday morning, as well as a drug offence.
Officers stopped the four men in a vehicle in Kingsley Road, Grangetown on Thursday night. Class A drugs were seized at the scene.
Three more held on suspicion of threats to kill
The remaining three arrests were a 23-year-old man on suspicion of threats to kill; a 42-year-old on suspicion of threats to kill and possession of criminal property; and a 30-year-old on suspicion of possession of criminal property. All three have been released on conditional bail.
Cleveland Police assistant chief constable Wayne Fox said: "This latest disruptive activity now brings the total number of arrests to 24 since the investigation commenced. Several suspects arrested throughout the course of this week have been charged with serious offences and a number of offenders have been recalled to prison."
Inquests opened into seven crash deaths
Formal inquests have been opened into the deaths of all seven people killed in the collision at South Bank between a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat. The two officers who died were PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. Teesside area coroner Paul Appleton said the provisional cause of death for Blades was head and neck injuries, and for Clough, neck injuries.
Inquests were also opened and adjourned into the deaths of the five Passat occupants: Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak, both 23.
Police initially arrested 17 people in the days immediately following the crash, which occurred during a police pursuit and prompted an investigation into alleged organised crime.
On Friday, Cleveland Police confirmed that Kai Inico, arrested on Monday on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, had been charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug. Four other people arrested on Monday were bailed — a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, a 55-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, and a 23-year-old man arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.
House fire in Grangetown treated as separate investigation
Detectives confirmed on Friday that a house fire in Grangetown that killed seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, and injured four others, is not being linked to the A66 crash. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with that fire.
Hundreds of additional officers have been deployed across the Middlesbrough and County Durham area following a series of incidents since the crash.
Police and crime commissioner for Cleveland, Matt Storey, said: "After what has been the most tragic week in its history, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to local residents for the outpouring of love and support they have shown to Cleveland police. My thoughts remain with the family, friends and colleagues of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough. They will be remembered as selfless, professional and courageous police officers, dedicated to serving their communities."
Source: The Guardian UK