Over one hundred people arrested, guns and knives recovered and thousands of drugs seized in square mile ANPR operations

The City of London Police’s proactive crime operations, supported by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), has led to over 100 arrests, 19 serious weapons seized and thousands of wraps of drugs taken off the streets in the last year.

In the past year, the force has intensified its intelligence-led operations, delivered by the Roads Policing and Servator officers, using the City’s extensive camera network to track down criminals.

The use of ANPR technology helps detect, deter and disrupt criminal activity at a local and national level. This includes travelling criminals (those using the road network to avoid being caught), organised crime groups and terrorists. ANPR has proved to be important in the detection of many offences, including locating, for example, people wanted for arrest or missing, witnesses, stolen vehicles, uninsured vehicles and uncovering cases of major crime.

The figures have been released ahead of the next operation this Saturday. This year, the work has resulted in:

• 103 people arrested
• 19 weapons seized
• 1,686 wraps of drugs seized
• £38,000 in cash recovered
• 104 phones seized
• 78 per cent positive stop and search rate

This work has helped contribute to an increase in the number of drug seizures in the Square Mile. There were 972 individual drug seizures in the City of London last year, a 77 per cent increase on the previous 12 months, and a 162 per cent increase on the same period a decade ago.

Tomorrow’s operation in the City will see intelligence-led patrols and active response to high-harm vehicles of interest. Where necessary, tactical drivers will use tactical pursuit and containment (TPAC) procedures to safely bring vehicles to a stop.

Commander Umer Khan, City of London Police, said:

“CCTV and ANPR in the City is a vital tool we use to help identify vehicles and occupants who might be involved in criminality. It has proved to be a highly effective means of combating terrorism, serious organised crime, complex investigations and protecting people who live, visit and work in the Square Mile.

“This demonstrates our commitment to intelligence-led policing. The positive stop and search rate is above the national average and highlights the effectiveness of targeted operations in catching those who cause the most harm to Londoners.

“Drug trafficking is a major source of revenue for organised crime groups, many of whom are involved in other forms of serious crime such as firearms, modern slavery and immigration crime. Anyone thinking of pushing drugs or committing other serious crime in the City will discover our robust response and run a very high risk of being caught and brought to justice.”

The most successful prosecution so far due to the intensification came in May last year.

George Rogoveanu, 30, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years and nine months at Snaresbrook Crown Court for possession with intent to supply class A, B and C drugs.

Officers stopped Rogoveanu in a Vauxhall Astra on 25 April 2024 and carried out a search based on the belief that there were drugs in the vehicle. A sub-woofer speaker was found with 45 grip bags of cannabis and THC gummies. Officers also opened a tin of Celebrations and found large quantities of cocaine, pills and magic mushrooms. In the central console was £1,260 in cash.

A number of other specialist teams within the City of London Police assist these operations, including the police dogs.

Police dogs are essential in officers’ efforts to combat and deter criminal activity. Their acute sense of smell and hunting instincts are an invaluable crime-fighting tool, regularly searching people and vehicles in the City, as well as working in transport hubs. The detector dogs have been highly trained to find a variety of items such as drugs, firearms, explosives, money and weapons. They also help crackdown on county lines criminality.