Story perspectives

Cleveland Police arrest 17 in Operation Artemis raids

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:46 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Cleveland Police launched Operation Artemis raids targeting organised-crime suspects linked to the A66 tragedy.
Around 130 officers, including National Crime Agency personnel, began the raids shortly after 08:00 BST.
Police arrested 17 people on suspicion of drug supply, assault, theft and other offences.
Officers seized an axe, machete, knife, baton, knuckle duster, cash, Class A and C drugs and an illegal e-bike.

History

Historical Context

India’s 1971 Operation Trident, launched on the night of 4–5 December, assembled three missile boats, two corvettes and a tanker to strike Karachi’s port, a coordinated naval assault that crippled Pakistan’s maritime logistics. The success of that joint-force strike set a precedent for later large-scale, multi-agency operations such as Britain’s recent police raids against organized crime.

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Story summary

Cleveland Police launched Operation Artemis raids targeting organised-crime suspects linked to the A66 tragedy.
Around 130 officers, including National Crime Agency personnel, began the raids shortly after 08:00 BST.
Police arrested 17 people on suspicion of drug supply, assault, theft and other offences.
Officers seized an axe, machete, knife, baton, knuckle duster, cash, Class A and C drugs and an illegal e-bike.

1 / 2