Nine people have been arrested after police carried out a series of coordinated dawn raids across Kirkham, Preston, Blackpool and Bolton in a crackdown on serious and organised crime.

Officers swooped on properties as part of a major investigation into criminal activity across Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside.

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The operation, called Operation Redpoll, began at around 7am Tuesday October 11 and involved officers from Lancashire’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

Warrants were executed at addresses on Grange Lane, Newton-with-Scales; Moor Hall Street, Preston; Macauley Avenue and Wyresdale Avenue, Blackpool; Loft Shaye, Knowle Green; Park Road and James Street, Westhoughton; as well as at addresses in Scunthorpe and Barnsley.

A significant quantity of cash and some stolen plant machinery was recovered in the searches.

Seven men and two women were arrested on suspicion of money laundering, theft, handling stolen goods and fraud offences. They are all being questioned at police stations across Lancashire.

“This is part of an ongoing operation that demonstrates Lancashire Constabulary’s commitment to effectively targeting and prosecuting organised criminals, with the intention of then stripping them of their ill-gotten assets.” said Detective Inspective Gary  Brooks.

He added: “As the activities of serious and organised criminals can have a dramatic effect on our communities, we always ask that residents contact us if they have information that will enable us to remove these offenders from our streets.”

If you have information about crime, contact Lancashire Constabulary on 0845 1 25 35 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.