GUN-EQUIPPED gang members suspected of being behind Barnsley’s drugs supply network are the subject of targeted operations by police who have been tasked with dismantling crime rings in the borough, the Chronicle can reveal.
Eight organised crime groups, referred to as OCGs by police, have been identified in the town and 34 people remain on investigating officers’ radars, with 50 per cent of the gangs assessed as being armed.
OCGs are said to be on the rise across South Yorkshire, and officers are working towards eradicating gangs in the county due to the damaging impact they have had on communities.
Barnsley’s eight active groups mean the borough is South Yorkshire’s least-affected area, according to a police report, falling short of Rotherham’s ten groups, 12 in Doncaster and 13 in Sheffield.
Although further groups have been identified in Barnsley, it’s thought a large percentage remain inactive and the focus has been placed on active members who have been predominantly involved with the supply of drugs.
Det Chf Supt James Abdy, head of crime for South Yorkshire Police, said: “The force currently manages 43 OCGs in the county, eight of which are in Barnsley.
“More have been identified but have been assessed to be inactive, principally due to concerted efforts by police and partners to disrupt and dismantle their activities.
“Of the 43 criminally active OCGs in South Yorkshire, 28 are assessed as having some degree of firearms capability. Looking at it district-by-district, four of Barnsley’s eight are firearm capable.
“In terms of criminality, the primary threat relates to drugs. The force has established a close working relationship with organisations include the National Crime Agency (NCA) and it enables intelligence sharing with wider partners and support operations with specialist covert capability.”
Although the disruption of the spice network remains a top priority for officers due to its impact on the town centre in particular, progress was made on recovering substances identified as fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, morphine, methadone and temazepam last year.
Operation Armenia was launched in relation to drug dealing across Barnsley and in particular the rising presence of fentanyl - a substance claimed to be 100 times more lethal than heroin - which was said to be responsible for the deaths of seven people in the town in 2017.
The super-strength strain, which does not show up on toxicology reports, prompted Public Health England to issue a warning which kickstarted the police’s investigation in Barnsley and led to a series of successful prosecutions including that of ringleader Gareth Featherstone, of Hopwood Street, who was jailed for five years.
One gang - the so-called Pitsmoor Shotta Boys - originated in Sheffield but took hold in Mexborough and the Dearne Valley after several members were rehoused there, leading the surrounding areas to be swamped with drugs, police say.
Officers raided more than 100 homes associated with the group last year which yielded the recovery of five guns, substances and large quantities of cash gained from drug dealing.
“We will relentlessly pursue the disruption and prosecution of serious and organised criminals and prepare by ensuring the necessary capabilities are in place to tackle the crime,” Det Chf Supt Abdy added.
“This work has been enhanced by the development of Operation Fortify, which is now used to underpin partnership activity in relation to serious and organised criminality.
“Tasking and coordination of operational resources to address the threats are managed through defined district, force, regional and national processes.
“Through the investment in neighbourhood policing teams - of which there are now six in Barnsley - the force is now working more closely with partners to develop problem-solving plans against OCGs.”
