Operation Raptor enforcement: court hearings taking place next week
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A man charged with offences including intent to supply drugs, possession of drugs, and possession of offensive weapons and criminal property will be in court on Monday 20 June.
Officers from the Lincoln Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant at an address in the south of the city and uncovered £29,620 in cash, around £22k worth of heroin, £400 to £800 of cocaine, what is believed to be a taser, and numerous other offensive weapons. All of those items were seized.
Paul Meenaghan, 43, of Elder Street, Lincoln, was charged and remanded in connection to the warrant. He was charged for possession with intent to supply Class A Heroin, possession of Class A Cocaine, possession of an offensive weapon in private place, possession of a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of incapacitating electricity, and possession of criminal property. The warrant was served on 16 May 2022. His next court hearing is Monday at Lincoln Crown Court.
The warrant was executed as part of a week of enforcement for Operation Raptor, our year-round effort to keep the county as safe as possible by targeting weapon-enabled crime.
In a separate incident during the enforcement activity, Michael Bull, 36, of Thistle Drive, Kettering in Northamptonshire was charged following an assault in Oxford Street in Grantham, on 15 May. Further searches were carried out on Bull’s vehicle and address and a Zombie knife was located. He was charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, grievous bodily harm (GBH), and possession of Cocaine. He has been remanded into custody until his hearing at Lincoln Crown Court, which is also on Monday.
Another man, Michael Morgan, 57, of Bowerdean Road, High Wycombe, was charged with possession of a machete following a vehicle stop check in John Adams Way, Boston on 18 May. His vehicle was also seized for being driven with no insurance and driving without a valid license. He was bailed to appear at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 22 June.
There were a further nine arrests made in connection with weapons and drugs offences, and the suspects have been released under investigation while we continue with our enquiries. Another three people also arrested in connection with weapons and drugs offences have been bailed, and a 41-year-old man was given a caution for possession of a knife/ bladed article in a public place following a vehicle stop in Lincoln.
Highlights from the enforcement week:
- £100k worth of drugs recovered overall
- More than £31k of cash seized overall
- A total of 46 weapons seized, including knives, a taser, and baseball bats with screws poking out the end.
- Carried out 26 stop searches, resulting in seven arrests
- One car was seized
The enforcement activity was carried out between 16 and 22 May, and involved staff and officers from our neighbourhood, response and intelligence teams, Roads Policing Unit (RPU), armed policing, Tactical Search Teams (TST), and dog units, all with the support of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Crime and Force Control Room. The work carries on year-round.
Superintendent Lee Pache, who leads Op Raptor, said: “This enforcement across the county has seen resources coming together at all times of day and night, focusing on homes and seizing assets. The impact is significant, with 46 weapons recovered, a vehicle seized, and over a kilogram of drugs found. That’s a significant amount of money, around £100,000 worth of drugs, and it's as a consequence of intelligence-led policing.
"This work will continue. We are going to throw criminals off balance. Operation Raptor is exceptionally important and if it wasn’t for the hard work of our officers, these types of successes just wouldn’t have happened.”
Work is still ongoing for colleagues in CID and forensics who will now continue to work on the cases to help secure a charge with CPS, and hopefully, eventual successful convictions.
(Voice in background) "Police!"
PC Kelly: “Baseball bat, slightly adapted.”
Superintendent Lee Pache: “Lincolnshire Police has completed its second Operation Raptor intensification week
“Operation Raptor is Lincolnshire Police’s response to tackle weapon-enabled crime throughout the county of Lincolnshire.
“We’ve executed a large number of search warrants across the county.
“This is targeting individuals through an intelligence-led approach. Significantly there is a direct link between weapons and drug dealing throughout the county.”
PC Weetman: “I feel that’s a confirmation that might be drugs, good boy.”
PC Woolerton: “If that’s heroin mate, I’ve never seen that much in a city.”
Sgt McNair: “Jim, how much is there?”
PC Woolerton: “Massive, massive.”
Sgt McNair: “Another big chunk.”
PC Woolerton: “And about another £5000.”
Sgt McNair: Rob – you’re in probably definitely heroin mate. Where was that, Jim?
PC Woolerton: That’s in the bathroom
PC Weetman: I think Toby is getting man of the match today!
Superintendent Lee Pache: “This has seen resources coming together at all times of day and night, focusing on homes and seizing assets. This included over 1kg of cocaine, a class A drug, and over £31,000 worth of cash. That’s going to have a significant impact on those who choose to commit weapon-enabled crime. But as well as that, we’ve conducted overt and covert stop searched, patrols of our cities and our towns, we’ve utilised roads policing, neighbourhood policing, PVP (Protecting Vulnerable People), and a whole host of others, targeting those who chose to travel into our county who do commit this crime.
“The impact is significant. Something like 46 weapons have been recovered, a vehicle was seized, and as I’ve said, over a kilogram of drugs. That’s a significant amount of money, that’s something like £100,000 worth of drugs and that’s as a consequence of intelligence-led policing. This work will continue. We are going to throw criminals off balance. Operation Raptor is exceptionally important and if it wasn’t for the hard work of our officers, these types of successes just wouldn’t have happened. So thank you.”