Dresden results in major drug busts

Residents in Macclesfield can look forward to a safer year in 2015 thanks to the work of Sergeant Adam Alexander and his team of officers in Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Unit.

In January 2014 Sergeant Alexander began Operation Dresden, aimed at rooting out criminals involved in drug related crimes in the Macclesfield area. The operation ran throughout 2014, and on 12 January 2015 one of the final defendants arrested in relation to the case, Ahmed Mahmood, was sentenced to a total of 5 years in prison for his role in a Cannabis Farm discovered by officers in Macclesfield Town centre.

Sergeant Alexander said: “From the outset of Operation Dresden my intention has always been to make Macclesfield a safer place. In total my team has removed over £775,000 worth of drugs from of streets, arrested over 50 people, and issued over 30 cautions as part of this operation.

“One of the highlights of operation Dresden for me was when we closed down the Cannabis farm on Chestergate in Macclesfield, which resulted in over £750,000 worth of Cannabis being removed from the local supply chain.”

A total of 17 people have now been through the courts systems, and they have been sentenced to a total of over 45 years in prison. Offenders included 35-year-old Jody Foster from Northwich, 30 year-old Sean Smith from Liverpool and 30-year-old Stuart Devine, from Widnes, who all received 3 years in prison for possession with intent to supply class A-Drugs.

Sergeant Alexander added: “I would like to thank the people of Macclesfield for the information and support that they have provided throughout this operation, without them we would not have seen the results that we have achieved.

“The feedback that we have received during the operation has been overwhelming and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure resident′s that although Operation Dresden may now have concluded our fight against drug crime hasn′t.

“I urge anyone who is concerned about drug crime in their local community, or has any information that may assist us in our fight against crime to contact us on 101.”

Alternatively members of the public can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.