West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson has welcomed the return of Operation Trivium – a nationwide crackdown on overseas crooks.
As part of the week-long initiative (16-20 May) officers from Romania, Lithuania and Holland − plus a Finnish officer representing Europol − will work alongside West Midlands Police and partner agencies to target Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) operating in the UK.
#OpTrivium sees agencies − including the National Crime Agency, Gangmasters Licensing Authority, and immigration officials − unite at a command centre in Edgbaston.
West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “Operation Trivium has proven time and time again to be an effective and worthwhile crime-fighter.
“The hard work of officers from West Midlands Police and partner organisations has resulted in thousands of important arrests and seizures over the years.
“Operation Trivium proves the West Midlands is no soft touch for foreign criminals looking to operate here in the UK…and long may that continue.”
By sharing information with intelligence experts at Europol in The Hague, officers from overseas provide police patrols on UK roads with a complete picture on any suspects they encounter − and ensure no criminals slip through the net.
It’s the sixth running of the campaign − which launched in 2013 − with last November’s Op Trivium 5 netting more than 700 crime suspects leading to the seizure of 550 vehicles across the country.
Chief Inspector Jed White from the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) is overseeing the operation in the West Midlands.
He said: “Among the arrests from Op Trivium 5 were a man who’d been convicted of murder in Poland and another Polish man, arrested in West Bromwich, who’d fled abroad while on prison release for fraud.
“In total across the West Midlands 97 Foreign National Offenders were arrested and 206 vehicles seized.
“Trivium has proved a hugely successful operation: the number of arrests should send out a strong message that there is no hiding for criminals and the borders hold no barriers when it comes to bringing about justice.”
Officers across the region will be involved in ANPR operations on the look-out for suspect vehicles, carrying out roadside checks, and supporting immigration officials on visits to businesses suspected of employing foreign over-stayers.
West Midlands Police will also be executing European Arrest Warrants against continental crooks believed to be hiding out on UK soil.
In the past six year, the force has arrested 427 people wanted by EU nations under EAWs − behind only to the Met Police and other departments in London.
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