A POLICE operation targeting organised crime gangs in rural Cumbria has led to three arrests.

The initiative - put into practice by police in west Cumbria on Wednesday - involved targeted patrols and the setting up of a roadblock accompanied by various searches.

Six cars were also stopped.

As a result, three car occupants were arrested. They were:

* A 35-year-old woman from Silloth, arrested on suspicion of possession of a class C drug and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

* A 49-year-old man, of no fixed address, arrested on suspicion of possessing of a class C drug and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

* And a 42-year-old man, also of no fixed address, arrested on suspicion of possession of a class C controlled drug and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

All three were released under investigation.

Codenamed Checkpoint, the strategy is regularly deployed to target organised crime groups who travel throughout the region committing crimes such as theft and burglary.

During the first part of the operation, crime prevention officers spoke with 11 farmers who agreed to the use of SmartWater forensic property marking kits.

The system creates an indelible marker that makes it impossible to disguise the origin of the goods treated in this way.

Inspector Steve Waddell said: “Operations such as this are vital in not only disrupting criminals who travel across county borders, but in gaining intelligence by engaging with the rural communities.

“Yesterday, engagement with the public was really positive – we gave crime prevention advice and gained lots of valuable intelligence from the vehicle stops.

“Targeting rural crime and keeping people safe are priorities for the neighbourhood policing teams in Cumbria.”