Two men arrested during police crackdown on crime

Two men were arrested on suspicion of of importing class B drugs as part of GMP's crackdown on crime in Oldham.

The men, aged 25 and 27 were released under investigation while police analysed the drugs and evidence.

The arrests were carried out as part of Operation Vortex - a project aimed at tackling violence, drugs, weapons and anti-social behaviour in Oldham.

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Officers from the Oldham East Neighbourhood Team, which covers the Waterhead, St James, Saddleworth and Lees areas, carried out 11 weapons sweeps, gave knife-crime talks at Knowsley, Littlemoor and St Theresa's primary schools and patrolled burglary hotspots.

There was also a joint operation with GMP's Transport Unit to disrupt crime and weapon offences at Derker Metrolink stop, while 50 speeding tickets will be issued after traffic enforcement at Ripponden Road, Huddersfield Road, Austerlands, and Huddersfield Road, Delph.

Inspector Alan Sanders said: "This was just the first of regular proactive police activity in the East Oldham area where my team will conduct activities that will disrupt criminals, and reassure and engage with the public."

Sergeant Joseph Dunne, of the Waterhead and St James team, added: "I hope today's action reassures the people of Oldham that if they provide us with information we will act on it and people will be arrested and brought to justice.

"The importation and supply of drugs is a blight on the community and has links to organised crime and volume crimes such as burglary and theft of motor vehicles as well as child criminal exploitation and county lines.

"This is something as a neighbourhood team, with the help of the public I want to make