Taxi Driver Online

Four arrested in counterfeit goods raid on taxi firm

A TAXI firm was raided by detectives leading a major counterfeit goods and money laundering investigation. Four men were arrested at Alpha Cars, in High Street, Swadlincote, on suspicion of handling stolen goods and money laundering. Police seized £2,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act as well as property.

The swoop was made as part of Derbyshire Police’s Operation Lurcher — a county-wide crackdown on dodgy traders and stolen merchandise. The initiative aims to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to trade stolen goods by squeezing the market. The men were quizzed by detectives and bailed pending further enquiries.

Sergeant Dave Simmonds, who leads Operation Lurcher, said: “The message we want to get across is that there is a potential for stolen goods to be traded in many places and that some people seemingly are happy to buy goods that may have a dubious background.

“Buying these types of goods isn’t about getting a bargain — it means you are fuelling the market which is filled by items taken as a result of burglaries, robberies and thefts. “Police and trading standards departments will be working together to patrol and monitor local outdoor markets and car boot sales to ensure that criminals don’t try to exploit these events to dispose of stolen items.” The details of what items were recovered at Alpha Cars have not yet been disclosed.

Derbyshire Police said that the operation had been running for 12 months and was aimed at tackling acquisitive crime such as robberies, burglaries, shoplifting and theft.

Police said that they had built up intelligence around the stolen goods market in the area, and that they were raising public awareness in a bid to reduce the willingness of people to buy, receive, transport or pass on goods they know or believe to be stolen.

Sgt Simmonds added: “We are eager to point out that Operation Lurcher is a long term approach not a short term project. If private individuals and trades people continue to buy and sell stolen property they will be targeted by their local policing teams as well as specialist units.”

If anyone has any information about stolen goods contact Derbyshire police on 0345 123 33 33 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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IDFIMH

The lurcher is a type of dog. The name lurcher is derived from the Romani language word lur, which means thief. Not a pure breed, it is generally a cross between a sighthound and any other breed, usually a pastoral dog or terrier, dependent on the attributes desired by the breeder; originally stealth and [edited by admin]. Collie crosses have always been very popular, given the working instinct of the sheepdog when mated with a sighthound gives a dog of great intelligence plus speed - prerequisites for the hunter/poacher. In the midwest, crosses with large scent hounds are fairly common.

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most