Organised crime arrests in A66 crash investigation
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Organised crime arrests in A66 crash investigation
Image source: Cleveland Police
Image caption: PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough were killed in a crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday
By Pamela Tickell, Philippa Goymer, and Federica Bedendo, North East and Cumbria
Published 13 minutes ago
Twelve people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the A66 crash that killed seven people, including two police officers.
Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested across Teesside on suspicion of a range of offences including possession of a firearm and being part of an organised crime group.
In the early hours of Saturday, a Volkswagen Passat that had been pursued by police travelled the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough and crashed into an oncoming police car – two PCs and all five Passat occupants died.
Cleveland Police said it was investigating "serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident".
PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died in the crash, as did Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy.
Earlier, Cleveland Police released more details of its investigation into the lead-up to the crash and information about the 12 people it had arrested.
The force said:
- It received several reports of two vehicles "being driven dangerously" on Saturday morning.
- The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was seen "ramming properties" in the Middlesbrough area.
- The second vehicle, a Passat, is believed to have been associated with this activity.
- Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology.
- The Volvo has been recovered in Middlesbrough.
- Four of the five people in the Passat had previous convictions.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox said the investigation had been "fast moving and complex".
He said:
"The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect."
"We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident and to bring all those responsible to justice."
The 12 people arrested as part of the investigation are:
- Three men, aged 24, 19, and 35, all held on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon. They are in police custody.
- A man, 21, held on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He has been remanded on recall to prison.
- A 30-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and who is in police custody.
- A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and public order. He remains in custody.
- A 26-year-old man has been charged with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs, as well as the possession of criminal property.
- Another man, 39, and a 47-year-old woman have been released on conditional bail after both being 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.
- An 18-year-old man has been released on unconditional bail after being arrested.