672 held in blitz on violent crime

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About 3,000 police officers and staff launched Operation Admiral with dawn raids on Friday across Greater Manchester. The 24-hour operation has now seen 672 people arrested.

Drugs and an AK47 rifle were recovered during the raids in the morning, and on Friday night officers focused on pubs and clubs, with the crackdown specifically aimed at alcohol-fuelled violent crime.

One drunk man was arrested in Manchester city centre and found to be carrying two nine-inch kitchen knives.

A number of pubs were closed down, including one in south Manchester after police discovered a cannabis farm behind a false wall inside the premises.

Pub and club bouncers' credentials were also inspected, resulting in the discovery of counterfeit identification cards and door staff using false details.

The operation came after a Government survey showed one in three people across the North West saw drunk or rowdy behaviour as a major issue.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: "Over the past 24 hours more than 3,000 police officers and staff have taken part in operations across Greater Manchester to make our town and city centres safer. More than 670 violent criminals have been arrested in an operation which has been in response to the concerns expressed in our communities about alcohol-fuelled violence.

"We know that the level of drunken aggression is unacceptable in our towns and so to tackle this problem many operations have been run overnight to challenge drunkenness, arrest those whose behaviour places other people in fear and at risk, and tackle those licensees who are not prepared to work with the authorities to make their premises safe for their customers.

"A number of pubs were closed down including one where a cannabis factory was found. On behalf of Greater Manchester Police I would like to thank the public for their strong support over the last 24 hours and can assure them that we will continue to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence in the future."