Met Police crackdown on unlicensed activity at shops, pubs, clubs and minicabs leads to 320 arrests

Sunday, July 1, 2012
12:32 PM

The Met Police’s crackdown on unlicensed activity across London has resulted in 320 arrests.

Codenamed Operation Condor, the two-day action in all 32 London boroughs saw 5,487 venues visited including pubs, off-licences, cafes, shops, fast food outlets and entertainment venues.

There were 829 offences reported or disclosed.

Seizures included 19.8kg of cannabis, 4,000 litres alcohol, 42,000 cigarettes, 400 DVDs, 28 watches, 150 phone cards, two TVs, six gaming machines and 86 vehicles.

Commander Mak Chishty, leading the operation, said: “Licensing impacts upon everyday community life. The results of unlicensed activity on our streets can find the form of underage drinkers acting unsociably close to where we live, unlicensed mini-cabs endangering passengers by making uninsured journeys and also shops who potentially encourage the circulation of stolen items by not correctly checking the history of second hand goods offered for sale.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Whether it’s unlicensed minicabs which endanger women, the illegal sale of alcohol or the selling of weapons to our young people, this immoral behaviour contributes to serious crime across London.”

Condor was first launched in February and over two days 4,896 licensed premises were visited.

There were 658 breaches identified and the operation resulted in 420 arrests.