A POLICE operation aimed at taking vehicles that use the area’s roads for criminality, saw 80 stopped and 16 seized for illegal activity.
Operation Trivium, which took place in Rubery on Monday (November 23), saw 22 police officers from West Mercia and West Midlands Police, two staff from Worcestershire Regulatory Services and three staff from the UK Border Agency involved in the drive.
The police were looking for vehicles which had committed motoring offences or other crimes, WRS were on the look-out for illegal scrap metal dealers and the UK Border Agency for illegal immigrants.
The A38 and the M5 and M42 motorways are often used by criminals coming through Bromsgrove and South Birmingham and that was the reason the area was chosen for the operation.
In total, four were seized for having no tax, six for no insurance and three because the driver had no legal licence.
There were two stop and searches carried out on individuals, one vehicle was stopped and searched as part of the scrap metal investigation which confirmed the vehicle was fully taxed and insured and the driver had the correct scrap metal licences.
Five vehicles were also stopped to ensure they complied with immigration legislation.
As well as that, there was also an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operation carried out.
That saw seven reported for having no tax, two reported for no MoT, one for careless driving and three for having no insurance.
Two motorists were reported for driving other than in accordance with their licence, a search for drugs was carried out and three vehicles were seized after they triggered the ANPR alerts.
Sgt Richard Field, of Bromsgrove Police, told The Standard: “The day was a huge success with a number of agencies coming together to address the criminal use of the roads in Rubery which is the gateway to Birmingham.
“The results have led to a number of vehicle seizures and prevented these vehicles being used illegally again.
“A number of offenders will soon appear in court for various offences from one day of proactive and positive policing.”
