Forecasters predict of mixture of cloudy weather, sunny spells and showers this weekend in Greater Manchester.
01.09.2023 - 13:55 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Police have vowed to crack down on organised crime gangs who see Wigan as an 'easy target'. In recent years gangs from Merseyside have established a foothold in the town, taking advantage of its location on the fringes of both Manchester and Liverpool.
Established gang figures in their late teens are being sent from Merseyside to set up county lines drug dealing operations in Wigan. And they're recruiting local kids as young as 11 to sell and transport heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis knowing they're too young to be arrested.
Det Insp Patrick Wood said: "The location of Wigan means that there is this feeling that it's kind of quite quiet out here, that it's an outlier. And I think the criminals have caught on to that as well.
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"That's why we have this issue of Merseyside offenders coming over with drugs and setting up their county lines in Wigan. It borders Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire so we have a lot of offenders who see Wigan as a bit of an easy target.
"Organised and serious crime gangs exploit any opportunity. If they see somewhere as a soft touch, that's how they will embed in the community."
This month GMP launched an new organised crime crackdown in Wigan. It will see police working with the council, Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, National Probation Service, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and local charities to disrupt gangs operating in the town.
The plan is to 'target every element of criminality' by closing down properties used for dealing, evicting problem tenants, exposing benefit fraud, cracking down on money laundering through businesses such as nail bars and takeaways and
Forecasters predict of mixture of cloudy weather, sunny spells and showers this weekend in Greater Manchester.
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