Five arrested during operation targeting fraudulent documents on Ipswich's roads

An operation targeting fraudulent driving licences and documents being used on the road network led to 38 vehicles being stopped and five people being arrested, with seven vehicles seized.

Operation Foxtail took place in Ipswich on Wednesday 1 October. The day of action works to disrupt organised and serious crime on Suffolk’s roads. These days are funded by the Home Office Invigor fund which focuses on organised immigration crime road operations.

This was the second Op Foxtail day of action in the area in the past few months, with another conducted in Ipswich on 28 July. Both were part of the ongoing Clear Hold Build Operation in the Gipping and Westgate wards in the town.

Clear, Hold, Build is a tactic developed by the Home Office to tackle serious and organised crime and build communities more resilient to their influence.

Officers from the Roads and Armed Policing Team (RAPT), County Policing Command and Sentinel teams were joined by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).

Five were people were arrested on suspicion of:

•         A breach of a court order with a vehicle seized for tax offences.

•         Fraudulent driving license and concerned in supply of controlled drugs. 

Individual also arrested for immigration offences.

•         Driving while using mobile phone, possession of a fake driving license and multiple tacho offences.

•         Fake driving license.

•         Immigration offences

Traffic Offence Reports were issued for the following offences during the operation:

•         No driving licence: 4

•         No insurance: 4

•         Dangerous driving: 2

•         Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme: 2

•         Tinted windows: 1

•         Defective tyre: 1

•         Use of mobile phone while driving: 1

•         Going over driver hours: 1

Speaking about the operation, PC Josh Preston of the Roads and Armed Policing team, who is leading Operation Foxtail said: “We had a really successful operation in Ipswich in July and while the number of offences were lower this time, it is important that we keep up the pressure on those using our roads unsafely and those involved in criminal activity that utilise our road networks and exploit our communities.

“By targeting vehicles linked to criminal activity, officers are able to intercept offenders, seize illegal goods, and dismantle key elements of criminal operations.

“This approach acts as a visible deterrent to dangerous driving behaviours, helping to reduce collisions, improve compliance with traffic laws, and reassure the public that roads are being actively policed. The dual benefit of crime disruption and safety promotion makes this strategy a valuable tool in modern policing.”