Man arrested in connection to violent offences in Cookstown

THE police have arrested a man in connection with a number of violent crimes in Cookstown during a cross border ‘Day of Action’ carried out by the PSNI and An Garda Síochána. 

The operation saw officers from across a number of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) departments who were joined by colleagues in An Garda Síochána to carry out a pre-planned, coordinated Day of Action targeting those who would seek to exploit the border region for criminality.

This high-visibility operation, which took place in border regions across the North, involved officers from a range of PSNI units including Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Local Policing Teams, ANPR Interceptors, Roads Policing, Tactical Support Group officers, Air Support and specialist detectives.

Simultaneously, in An Garda Síochána carried out similar large scale operations on the N1/M1 in Dundalk, County Louth.

As part of the operation sixteen Fixed Penalty Notices were subsequently issued for a range of motoring-related offences. Three people were also arrested for driving offences and three vehicles were seized. Five people were also found to be driving with no insurance.

Three vehicles and seven people were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act and four arrests were made for drugs offences, including that of one man who was arrested on suspicion of the importation of Class A and B drugs.

The PSNI were also able to locate and arrest a man who was sought in connection with a number of violent offences in Cookstown.

Superintendent McGowan of the PSNI said, “Crime and organised criminals do not respect national boundaries and our policing response must continue to be dynamic and relentless. Thursday’s action demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies in both Northern Ireland and the Republic to working together to tackle cross-border criminality and provide a visible, accessible and responsive service for our border communities.

“We continue to build on this coordinated approach. By working side by side we can do more to tackle criminal networks who seek to exploit the border region, and deliver on our mission of keeping people safe.”