More than 30 vehicles stopped in roadside police check at Copdock

More than 30 vehicles were stopped as part of the operation

More than 30 drivers of lorries, light goods vehicles and coaches were stopped by police last week in an initiative aimed to target and disrupt criminal activity.

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The operation, conducted by Suffolk and Norfolk Roads Policing and Firearms Operation Unit (RPFOU), the Dog Section and Scorpion Team, was held between 8am and 3pm last Thursday.

Using the truck stop at Tesco Copdock as a base, officers patrolled the main road networks and surrounding villages.

In total, 37 vehicles were stopped, with seven given immediate prohibitions by the DVSA, nine given delayed prohibitions – meaning defects needed to be fixed as soon as possible - and 34 advisory notices given.

Police gave 14 traffic offence reports, including for having no MOT, driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition and driving with defective brakes or tyres.

Drug dog indications saw 12 people and vehicles searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. One cannabis penalty notice was issued for personal use possession.

Three drivers were tested for drug driving, resulting in two men being arrested on suspicion of driving with an excess of a specified drug in their system. The men – a 29-year-old from Ipswich and a 23-year-old from Colchester - have been bailed until November 18 and December 3 respectively, pending further enquiries.

All 37 drivers were tested for drink-driving and all were negative.

The vehicles all had their tanks dipped for rebated fuel but no offences were found.

One vehicle was found to contain 200 boxes of wine and the driver was interviewed by HMRC and reported for summons. All 200 boxes were seized due to £2,000 of unpaid excise duty.

Acting inspector Julian Ditcham said: “We carry out these regular checks to make our roads safer and, as demonstrated by the number of offences found, there is a need to continue them to deal with drivers and vehicles that are potentially dangerous to other road users.

“Working with partner agencies means we can tackle a range of issues and there will be more days in future in different locations around the county.”