Two men were arrested last weekend as part of a Cheshire-wide operation tackling organised immigration crime within the delivery sector.=, including one male from Crewe.

Officers were deployed to Crewe, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Widnes and Warrington on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February, as part of Operation Ascertain.

Teams from the Foreign National Offender Team, local Beat Management and Home Office Immigration, were deployed to the areas between 7pm and 3am to conduct immigration checks on delivery drivers.

This was to ensure they were legally allowed to work in the UK, and were not being exploited under modern day slavery offences.

Officers were also supported by local authority CCTV officers, who monitored the areas in real-time allowing for the prevention of crime and rapid response to any ongoing incidents.

Over 70 checks were conducted over the course of the two nights, with immigration checks being completed alongside colleagues from the National Command and Control Unit's Immigration Enforcement.

Two arrests were made during the operation, with a 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, who has since been released on bail.

A 51-year-old man residing in Crewe was arrested on suspicion of immigration offences and has since been bailed by immigration teams.

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During the weekend, over 30 stop searches were completed, alongside three community resolutions being issued for the possession of drugs.

One dispersal notice and five traffic reports were also issued, alongside a total of four vehicles being seized.

There was a particular focus on tackling violence against women and girls, with officers out in force in proximity to night-time economy venues. No offences were reported.

Sergeant Lauren Henthorn, of the Foreign National Offender Team, said: "Operation Ascertain forms part of our wider ongoing efforts to crack down on those who are intent on exploiting vulnerable people and ensuring those who work within this sector are correctly licensed and working safely.

"This operation was also an opportunity to ensure that everyone making use of our nighttime economy venues was doing so safely and responsibly.

"I hope this operation highlights to members of the public the volume of work that goes into keeping our residents safe from those who are intent on causing risk and harm to our communities."

Local Policing Unit Commander for Warrington, Chief Inspector Rob McLoughlin, added: "These operations have been a truly collaborative effort, and a major factor in their success has been the invaluable contribution of our town centre CCTV operators. 

"In operations like these, where real-time monitoring across large areas is essential, CCTV teams play a vital role in preventing crime and promoting safety across the nighttime economy, retail environments, and especially in safeguarding women, girls, and vulnerable people."

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READ MORE: Property of the Week: Redecorated Crewe apartment with additional garage.

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