Joint operation disrupts criminal activity and boosts road safety in Yeovil
Three arrests and the seizure of two unsafe vehicles were among the results of Operation Mille, a day of action led by Avon and Somerset Police with Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Immigration Enforcement on 31 March.
Led by the Somerset East Neighbourhood Tasking Team, the multi-agency day of action took place along the A303 to disrupt and create a hostile environment for organised crime groups.
Operation Mille is a nationwide operation when police forces and agencies across the country target organised crime groups involved in immigration crime in the UK. The operation has previously proved to be successful in arresting, charging, convicting and deporting hundreds of people illegally involved in high harm crime, including supplying drugs, firearms offences, immigration crime and money laundering.
A range of enforcement activity was carried out in Yeovil, including targeted vehicle stops using ANPR intelligence and arrests in regard to immigration offences. The DVSA carried out detailed inspections of commercial vehicles resulting in a significant number of prohibitions to improve road safety standards and remove unsafe vehicles from the road.
Results from the day:
- Three arrests related to immigration offences
- Two unroadworthy vehicles seized
- More than twenty vehicles stopped
- Five traffic tickets issued
- Twelve DVSA prohibitions issued (Eight immediate prohibitions removing unsafe vehicles from the road without delay and four delayed prohibitions, requiring defects to be rectified within a set timeframe)
- Two searches conducted
- Two potential fail‑to‑stop incidents successfully resolved
- Over ten individuals received words of advice or educational interventions
PC Daniel Lawson, Neighbourhood Tasking Team, Somerset East, said,
“Operation Mille delivered a strong and positive day of action. From removing unsafe vehicles and making key arrests, to supporting checks aimed at identifying immigration offences, exploitation, and potential human trafficking risks, this was a great example of how much can be achieved when all our partners work together with a shared purpose of keeping people safe.”
Dean Munday, Immigration Enforcement Inspector, said,
“We are coming down hard on immigration offending in our communities to uphold our laws and protect vulnerable people.
“That is why illegal working enforcement action is at the highest level in British history, and we have ramped up removals of those with no right to be here to the highest rate in nearly a decade.
“This operation was an excellent example of partnership working and I hope it sends a clear signal that there is no hiding place from the rules.”
Marian Kitson, DVSA Director of Enforcement, said,
“DVSA’s priority is to keep everyone protect from unsafe vehicles and drivers.
“We’re pleased to have worked in partnership on this multi-agency operation with Avon and Somerset Police, taking firm action against drivers and operators who ignore the law and their responsibilities.
“A co-ordinated approach helps us put a stop to non-compliance, issue prohibitions and and fixed penalties, leading to possible prosecutions or vehicle impounding.”