Motorcycle crime taskforce seize 11 bikes during 48-hour blitz

A motorcycle crime taskforce seized 11 bikes and arrested three riders during a 48-hour blitz.

The string of seizures were made across Wearside and South Tyneside this week as part of Operation Capio – the Force’s continued crackdown on all motorcycle criminality.

Three bikes all believed to have been stolen from the Concord area were successfully located at an address in Washington on Tuesday (April 16), along with a number of false plates.

Elsewhere, plain-clothed officers spotted a nuisance rider in the Hylton Castle area of Sunderland and tracked him to a nearby home where the rider – in his 20s – was found to have no insurance. He was duly reported for motoring offences and his bike taken away.

Upon attending an address in South Shields, officers located a suspected stolen scooter with a tampered plate. Fearing the net was tightening around him, the occupant attempted to hide from police – but was swiftly placed in handcuffs, while a stash of Class B drugs were also seized from inside the house.

And a day earlier, on Monday, police followed a suspicious motorcycle on Silksworth Road in Sunderland which turned out to have been stolen from an address in Gateshead in September 2023.

The rider – a disqualified driver – was arrested when parking up at a petrol station and will now appear before the courts.  A subsequent search of his home led officers to find a further five bikes that have been linked to motorcycle-related disorder across Sunderland.

Sergeant Chris Mcclennan, of Northumbria Police, coordinated this week’s Op Capio activity and praised the work of everyone involved.

He said: “We’re well aware of the detrimental impact that motorcycle-related crime can have across Northumbria and that’s why it’s a priority for us to seize these bikes and identify the riders.

“The activity this week follows weeks of intelligence gathering and information provided by our communities – and the results speak for themselves.

“This proactive action is not in isolation, and we have officers across the entire Force area targeting nuisance riders and looking to meet motorcycle-related crime head-on.

“As ever, I’d like to thank the public who continue to support us – and would encourage anyone who has information about motorcycle-related crime in their area to get in touch with us and report it. By doing so, that will allow us to take robust action.

“Please also contact us if you know where these bikes are being stored overnight. Your information could prove pivotal in our ongoing crackdown on this type of criminality.”

Members of the public can report concerns to us by using our ‘Report’ page or by calling 101.

In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always dial 999.