A total of 50 people have now been arrested as part of a police crackdown on serious organised crime in the aftermath of the fatal A66 crash.
The arrests come after the horror crash on August 22, when a Passat, carrying five young men, drove the wrong way down the road, crashing into a police car containing two officers.
Officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died at the scene.
Pcs Tom Clough, left, and Matthew Blades, right (Image: CLEVELAND POLICE)
Five men in the VW - Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jakub Matusiak, 23, and Michael Robert Cahill, 23 - who police said "could have links to organised crime", all died.
Since then, a total of 50 arrests, including 39 men and 11 women, have now been made in connection with organised crime.
Ten of those arrests are directly linked to the Volvo that is reported to have been involved in driving into two properties in Middlesbrough on the morning of Saturday, August 22, including an address linked to Cole Worthy.
A house in Ruskin Avenue, Middlesbrough, after being rammed by a car, which deliberately reversed into the front window, causing extensive damage. (Image: OWEN HUMPHRIES/ PA WIRE)
A spokesperson from Cleveland Police said: “Since August, a dedicated team of detectives have been pursuing and tackling serious and organised crime.
From left to right: Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Michael Robert Cahill, 23 - all who died in the wrong-way vehicle in the crash
Fifteen people have so far been charged to appear before the courts and one man has been sentenced for throwing a brick at a police vehicle as it travelled in Middlesbrough on Tuesday 25 August
Three shotguns, two handguns and ammunition has been seized.
Knives, machetes, pepper spray, about £60,000 worth of class A and class B drugs and £34,750 in cash has also been recovered.
Safeguarding interventions have been made regarding three children.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Barker, Head of Crime, said: “This activity is testament to our commitment in tackling serious and organised crime.
“Our pursuit of this criminality will continue, and I want to take this opportunity to thank the community for their support and patience but also for the information that we keep receiving.
“I want to encourage you to keep on reporting behaviour that is related to drugs or organised crime—no matter how small—and be assured that we will act.”
Several people have since been charged and arrested during the wider investigation following the crash.
Kai Beattie, 19, of Foxrush Court, Redcar, was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
He appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, August 25.
Cameron George, 26, of Micklow Close, Redcar, was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of criminal property.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Teesside Crown Court on Monday, September 21.
Kai Inico, 21, of Alverton Green, Middlesbrough, was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group.
He was later charged with possession with intent to supply a Class B drug and released on conditional bail in relation to the organised crime group allegation.
A further 18-year-old charged with dangerous driving appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 31, and was remanded in custody.
Who else has been arrested?
- A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon. He was later released on conditional bail.
- A 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group. He was later charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
- A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and released on conditional bail.
- A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and released on conditional bail.
- A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He was released on conditional bail in relation to those allegations but was recalled to prison.
- A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and a public order offence and was released on conditional bail.
- A 61-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate and released on conditional bail.
- A 47-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of Class C drugs. She was released on conditional bail.
- An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of Class C drugs. He was released on unconditional bail.
- A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of Class C drugs and released on conditional bail.
- A 26-year-old was arrested and later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of criminal property.
- Another 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and released on conditional bail.
- Further arrests included a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man, both on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group.
- A 21-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession with intent to supply a Class B drug.
- A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, while a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.
Police also confirmed four men aged 35, 25, 40 and 21 were arrested after a Mercedes was stopped on Kingsley Road in Grangetown.
They were all arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life, arson and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The arson allegation relates to a caravan which was set alight on Atlee Road, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday, August 26, four days after the A66 crash.
The criminal damage allegation relates to a separate incident at Steele Crescent, where a vehicle crashed into a wall outside a property in the early hours of Thursday, August 27.
Three other men were also arrested. All three were released on conditional bail.
They are:
- A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill
- A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and possession of criminal property.
- A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property.
The fallout from the crash has also seen disorder elsewhere in the region.
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The investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue.
An Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation remains ongoing but has ruled out police contact with the Volkswagen before the crash.